Princess of Misthaven
by jojo0039
Summary: Amara is a bar owner in Storybrooke, Maine. She notices that the Mayor's brother Joseph watches her from time to time. When a stranger comes to town she starts having dreams and questions everything about her life and town. Why does she feel so drawn to this stranger? Why does she have those dreams? And who is the man with the blue eyes? Find out who Amara is in the first book...
1. Pilot

**"There was an enchanted forest filled with all the classic characters we know.**  
 **Or think that we know.**  
 **One day they found themselves trapped in a place where all their happy endings were stolen.**  
 **Our world.**  
 **This is how it happened…**

 _Amara rode on her horse with the prince as they raced across the beach to the other side of the forest to get to her sister as quickly as possible. They rode up and came across dwarfs who were crowding across a glass case that held her sleeping sister. The prince got off his horse and went over. "I just want to say goodbye." he said sadly as he lifted the case lid. Amara slowly got off her horse and was trying not to cry as she seen her sister laying there in a sleep. She saw the prince kiss her and she felt this rush of magic as Snow slowly sat up and looked at her prince charming. "You found me." Snow said as she smiled up at Charming. "You ever doubt I would." he smiled then looked at Amara. "I couldn't have done it without your sister." Snow looked over at her sister and smiled._

 _Amara was standing to thee left of her sister as her and Charming were getting married. She was so happy for them. Just then the doors banged open and Regina the Evil Queen walked in. "Sorry I'm late." she smirked at them. Amara stepped forward and drew her sword. "That's far enough Regina not a step closer." Regina looked at Amara and smiled then looked back at Charming and Snow. "Enjoy this happy day for it shall be your last. I shall destroy your happiness if it is the last thing I do!" she shouted at them. Charming grabbed Amara's sword and threw it at Regina. She laughed and disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. Amara looked up and seen Joseph and shuddered as he smirked at her and turned to walk out of the castle._

 _Snow, Charming and Amara walked through the tunnels of the castle dungeons to the place where no one goes. Amara stopped short and waited as Snow and Charming walked up to Rumpelstiltskin's cage. She overheard them saying that in 28 years their daughter; her niece will save them all from the dark curse that her best friend will cast. Just then he looked at her. "Don't worry Amara your destiny has yet to come. Where the savior saves, she will need a protector; one to bond with magic." both Charming and Snow looked at her. "Why didn't you tell me you had magic?" Snow asked her with a look of hurt on her face. "I only used it a couple of times. I didn't even know if I wanted to keep using it or not." she told them as she walked up to the cage. "How did you know I had magic nobody knew." she said angrily to Rumpelstiltskin. "I know everything dearie, I know your future." she looked at him with a neutral look but on the inside she was freaking out. "Let's go guys there's nothing here for us." they turned to leave when he burst out in anger. "What is her name! You promised me a name!" he shouted angrily and almost desperately. Snow turned around and looked at them both before looking at Rumpelstiltskin. "Emma, her name is Emma." she said before rushing out of the cave._

 _Amara stood over her sister as she was in labor. All of a sudden the warning bells rang and Amara looked out the balcony and seen a cloud of darkness heading straight for them. "You have to hurry Snow its coming!" Amara stood guard as Doc delivered the baby. Snow barely got to hold her baby when Charming had to take her to the wardrobe to be taken to another world. "It'll be OK Snow, he will get her there in time." she grabbed the back of her head and put their foreheads together. "We will see her again I promise." just then Amara heard a noise outside. "Stay here I'll be right back." Snow shook her head. "No don't leave me!" Snow cried as Amara grabbed her sword and headed for the door. "I'll be right back." she headed out and walked toward the nursery. She heard swords clinking together and ran to help but got stopped by Joseph who was standing right in front of her. Her eyes go wide in fear as the man she has ran from is standing right in front of her. She lifted her sword and pointed it at him. "Get out of my way now." he opened his mouth and said a spell and her sword flew out of her hand as he backed her against the wall. She refused to show him her fear as he pressed himself against her. "You don't scare me, and no matter what you do I will never be with you ever!" he chuckled darkly as he raised his hand and grabbed her face so she was looking at him. "You will be mine soon enough." he grabbed her and dragged her to the nursery. There they were met by Regina who was standing over Snow as she was cradling Charming to her as he was passed out from a wound. She looked up as the cloud bust through the windows and ceiling and engulfed them in the darkness._

Amara walked down the street toward the bar that she owns. As she was walking she bumped into Joseph all of a sudden. He grabbed her arm to steady her from falling. "Hey are you OK I didn't see you there." he smiled charmingly at her as she attempted to get her thoughts together. "Yea...I'm OK…sorry I bumped into you. I wasn't paying any attention." she said flustered as she grabbed her necklace and twirled it around her finger nervously. "That's quite OK. I hope you enjoy your day." he said cryptically and walked away to the other end of the street. She walked to Granny's to have breakfast with her friend Mary Margaret. Then after breakfast she then goes to the store to pick up stuff for the bar. She then takes lunch to Ruby and they eat at the bar before she opens. She will serve her usuals until 12 then she closes and heads home. A couple times a week she meets up with Henry who is the Mayor's son who she can tell gets quite lonely from time to time. Everything went the same way except this morning when she bumped into Joseph he wasn't alone. His sister Regina who was the mayor was with him and they looked frazzled. "Good morning Amara you haven't by chance seen Henry have you?" she looked between him and Regina puzzled. For some reason she had the odd sense that something wasn't right at all. "N-no I haven't seen him since yesterday. If I see him I'll be sure to let you know." she smiled and walked away as they didn't give her a second thought and went to the sheriff's station.

Later that night as she was closing up she seen a car she never seen before pass the bar and head in the direction of the mayor's house. For some reason that had given her a sudden comfort she didn't remember ever feeling. The next morning as she was reading the morning paper she seen on the cover about the stranger in the car running over the Storybrooke sign. She got dressed and headed toward the sheriff's station. She didn't know why but for some reason she had to go and talk to this person. She opened the door and walked in. She saw the woman laying on the small cot in the cell. "Hey!" she said loud enough to wake the blonde woman up. She sat up and looked at Amara. "Who are you?" she asked as Amara walked closer to the cell. "My name is Amara, what's yours?" the woman just looked at her until she sighed and said, "Emma, my name is Emma." just then a noise in the cell next to her startled them both. It was the town drunk Leroy. Amara cleared her throat. "Well Emma what are you doing here in Storybrooke?" before Emma got a chance to answer her, Graham the town sheriff walked in. "Alright Leroy if I let you out do you promise to be on your best behavior I don't want to see you in here anymore. Hey Mara what are you doing here?" he asked her just then noticing that she was standing there talking to Emma. "That's what I would like to know Miss Hurley." Regina said as she entered the station. "Graham, Henry is missing again and what is she doing here?" she asked seeing that Emma was still here in Storybrooke. Amara had a sudden urge to get smart with Regina so before she could stop herself she retorted, "Well to answer your first question your magiesty I'm here to bail Emma here out of jail if that's alright with you." Regina looked at her in surprise as she never talked back to her as this new Amara ever. "And obviously she's been in jail so how would she know where Henry is?" she asked sarcastically stepping closer to Regina. Graham stepped between them as Regina went to say something back. "I would watch your tone if I were you Amara. I don't know what's gotten into you but you don't want to get on my bad side." Before anything else could be said Emma spoke up. "Look I can help you find him. I find people for a living it's what I do. Have you checked his computer or friends?" Regina scoffed. "Of course I've checked his computer and he doesn't have any friends."

While at the mayor's house Amara and Emma checked Henry's computer. "You're really good at this. How long have you done this kind of thing?" Amara asked as she sat beside Emma looking at Henry's computer. "Long enough to know what I'm doing. Bingo found something." Regina and Graham walked over to them. "It's a website for How did he get the money to get this?" Amara looked at the billing history and was surprised when she seen Mary Margaret's credit card information come up on the screen. "Who is Mary Margaret Blanchard?" Emma asked looking at from the computer to all of them. "A nobody." Regina said and stormed out of the room. Amara sighed and stood up and headed for the door. "Come on I'll explain on the way she's a good friend on mine we're practically sisters." Emma followed after her and the four of them headed out.

They walked into the school and waited for the bell to ring before headed to the classroom. "Where is my son Miss Blanchard?" Regina demanded storming into the classroom. "Hey cut the hostility now Regina." Amara stated, surprising herself and the others with the attitude she was presenting towards Regina. Regina glared at her and ignored her as she stomped to the teacher. "Mary Margaret he used your card for a website do you know anything about it?" Amara asked before Regina could start on her. "No I had no idea." she started looking through her purse seeing that her card was not there. "It would be wise for you to make sure this never happens again." Regina stated angrily before storming off and knocking down books on her way out. Emma sighed and helped her pick up the books as Amara went to talk to Graham. "Hey I think I know where he is. We can get him obviously he doesn't want Regina to find him. I'll see you later at the bar." she said as she walked back in the classroom. "Hey I have to get back to the bar and open it, but you should stop by before you leave town Emma. Mary I'll see you later. Tell Henry I said hey OK." she hugged Mary Margaret and turned to Emma. "I'll try. I didn't know you know where Henry was." they walked down the hallway toward the exit. "I had a suspicion but didn't want to say anything in front of Regina. Its bad enough he thinks this town is cursed I wouldn't wanna lead Regina to his secret spot." Amara smirked. "OK yea thanks, if he thinks this town is cursed who does he think you are?" Emma asked heading to her car. "That's the funny thing he thinks I'm Snow White's sister." she laughed and walked away.

While getting the bar set up Amara ran into a man with a cane and a limp. "Hey Mr. Gold I'll have the money for you first thing in the morning promise." she said as he walked past her. "No problem dearie I know you're good for it. I'll see you bright and early in the morning." he said to her walking off. A few hours later Amara was extremely busy getting drinks for people when Emma walked in with Henry in tow. "Hey guys what can I get you?" she asked leaning over the counter. "We'll just take a couple cokes for the road. I have to get him back to Regina before she sends a huge search party out for him." Emma said as they sat down at the bar. Amara brought them their cokes and Henry walked off to use the bathroom"So…" Emma started. "Henry was telling me about this town a little bit and about the curse. He thinks that I'm the savior and that Snow White and Prince Charming are my parents. Where does he come up with this stuff?" Emma laughed as she took a sip of her drink. "He has for as long as I can remember. I don't see the harm as long as he has something to believe in." Amara said cleaning down the counter. "You better go its getting late, stop back in after you drop him off." Emma stood up as soon as Henry got back. "I will. See you soon." Emma said. "Bye Mara. See you later." Henry said waving to her.

Amara had the bar closed and was walking home when she walked past the mayor's house and heard her loud voice. She walked toward the walk way when she saw Emma talk to her and Regina yell at her. "He is my son. I suggest you leave town or if you don't I will destroy you if it is the last thing I do." she basically spat in Emma's face and walked back in her house and slammed the door. After hearing those words she felt a sense of déjà vu. Suddenly an image of pictures popped in her head about Regina dressed in all black walking down an aisle. She gasped and hurried up and walked home. She was walking past the clock tower when she looked up and it moved. That clock was suppose to be broken how did it move? Unknowing to her someone was watching her as she walked home to get in bed. That night she dreamed about pirates and long lost princesses.


	2. The Thing You Love Most

Amara woke up as she heard the clock tower ding. She felt a sense of change in the air like she could finally breathe and everything was fresh in the air. She got dressed and headed to Granny's for breakfast. She spotted Emma sitting at the counter and walked over and sat down next to her. "Hey I thought you would be back in Boston by now. What changed your mind?" Emma looked over at her. "Henry asked me to stay for a week so I figured what was the harm for one week." Amara agreed with her and got Ruby to take her order. Ruby came back over with a hot chocolate and placed it in front of Emma. "I didn't order this" she said pushing it away. "I know" Ruby winked "It looks like you got an admirer." She walked off to get Amara's food to go. Emma walked over to Graham thinking that he was the one that bought her the hot chocolate with cinnamon. Amara laughed when she found out it was Henry. He walked up to them and asked them to walk him to school.

 _* " I shall destroy your happiness if it is the last thing I do" Regina stated as she looked at Amara and then turned to walk away. Charming grabbed Amara's sword off her. "Hey!" He shouted causing her to turn around as he threw it at her. She dissolved in a cloud of black smoke as Joseph walked out the door laughing. Joseph walked through the castle looking for Regina he found her talking to her mirror. " How exactly do you plan on making everyone lose their happy endings?" He asked her unamused with her threat. "By reenacting the dark curse of course." She smirked and walked out leaving him in a state of shock.*_

 _Regina and Joseph stand as she gets all the evil creatures to give a lock of hair from them to help with the curse. He stood off to the side watching her as she failed to create it.*_

""So what's the plan here kid?" Emma asked as the three of them walked to his school. "We got to get everyone to believe. Just ask someone about their pasts or how long they've been here i bet you they can't." "Henry that doesn't make sense i know how long I've been here." Amara said arguing with Henry about his plan. "really than answer how long you've had your bar." He argued right back sounding really smug. He turned to look at her with a i told you look. "I know how long I've had my bar...I've had it..." she stumbles over her words as she actually tries to figure out how long she actually had her bar. "I told you so" he said to her before turning back to Emma. "time has been frozen before you got here" Emma goes to take a bite of the apple that Regina gave her earlier that morning. "Hey! Where did you get that?" He asked Emma taking the apple from her hand and throwing it behind him startling both Amara and Emma. "OK?...so for decades people have been walking around in a haze not aging in a cursed town that have kept them oblivious?" Amara still not believing Henry all the way stayed silent as Emma and Henry talked. "I knew you'd get it. We need you you're the only one who can stop the curse." "because I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming?" "Yes and right now we have the advantage, my mom doesn't know and we have Amara, she's the first part in helping you break the curse. I ripped out the ending so she wouldn't read it. See your mom is Snow White and look Amara that looks just like you." Henry showed them pictures ripped out of a book of charming holding a baby Emma and another one of Amara sitting next to Snow White as she delivers her baby. "Kid?" Emma is baffled that they look a like. Amara is staring at the picture in shock. She never really looked at the story book he always talked about, but now she was curious to what else the book had inside it. "I understand." Henry continued sensing the disbelief still. "The hero never believes at first, if they did it wouldn't make a very good story. If you guys need more proof take them and read them but whatever you do not show my mom these pages. They're dangerous if she found out who you are or if you knew the truth things would get very bad. Amara and Emma just look at the pages as they continue to walk Henry to school.

They finally make it to the school after a long debate on whether to believe Henry or not. "I've got to go, but I'll find you both later and we can get started." He ran across the street but turned back around to look at them. " I knew you'd believe me! And Amara you'll believe fully soon enough i have faith." "I never said i did!" Emma said at the same time Amara saying "we'll see!" He smiles and runs towards school "Why else would you be here?" He shouted and ran inside catching the attention of Mary Margaret. She walks over to them. "Its good to see his smile back" "I didn't do anything" said Emma looking slightly uncomfortable. "You stayed. So does the Mayor know you're still here?" " She knows…What is her deal? She's not a great people person how did she get elected?" "Oh god she's been mayor for as long as i can remember." "Yea no one has ever been brave enough to run against her, even though Mary Margaret wants me to though." Amara teases, bumping her shoulder against Mary Margaret. " Especially since she evokes a lot of fear and I haven't helped anything by giving Henry that story book now he thinks she's the evil queen." Mary Margaret continues looking kind of sheepish it. "Who does he think you are? I know he's mentioned a couple times about Amara being a princess with a sister." Emma asked curiously. Mary Margaret laughs without any humor. " Oh! Well its silly really." " Oh come on M! It can't be that bad." Amara pleads with her wanting to know who Henry thinks she is. " Okay, he thinks I'm Snow White." Both Emma and Amara looked surprised and looked at each other in disbelief. Henry couldn't possibly be right that would make her Emma's mother and Amara's little sister. Amara looked at Mary Margaret differently then something telling her to believe this. Sensing the tension and looks she was getting Mary quickly asked who he thought they were in the book. "Umm" Amara starts but doesn't know how to really tell her. "He thinks I'm just some princess who lost her sister. Hey look I have to go but we should totally have dinner later after work." "Uh OK." She quickly hugged Mary and told Emma she would call her later and left.

Amara walked to the bar and unlocked the door. She went and sat down thinking about what everyone said to her this morning. There was no way she could possibly believed everything that Henry was saying to her. It was all fairy tales and wishing. But why did every time she started to have doubts about Henry the images of that man would pop in her head? She sighed and got up wanting to get the bar open for lunch time. She just finished the lunch time rush when Joseph walked in. She looked up from the bar and started to get nervous. She knew that he would watch her sometimes but never really interact with her, so why was he now?

"Hi Amara, how are you doing today?" he asked as he sat down at the bar right next to Leroy. "Hi Joseph, what can I get for you?" She walked over to him and stood in front of him. He seemed to be in thought for a couple minutes just looking at her which made her nervous. Then he gave her a big smile. "How would you like to go on a date with me?" She smiled at him. " The offer sounds really nice, it really does but I don't think i can. " She let him down gently. He took a deep breath and tried to hold in his temper remembering where he was and went to stand up. He came around the bar to cage her in between him and the bar. "With all due respect Amara I've been watching you and I really thing we would have a good time together." He leaned down to whisper in her ear. " Plus I don't really take no for an answer." He leaned back up and went to walk back out when she turned around. " I'm free this weekend, I got someone covering the bar for me." He paused and turned around to face her with a smile on his face. "Excellent, I'll pick you up then, but I'll text you in the mean time. Good bye Amara." He walked out the door. She took a deep breath and thought what did she get herself into.

Amara walked in the diner and instantly spotted Ruby. She sat down on the stool and waved her over. "I had the most interesting day so far." she started as Ruby walked over after giving a customer his drink. "Oh really?" she smirked "Do tell I'm dying for some good gossip." Amara smiled and leaned forward as if to whisper to her. "Guess who came into the bar and asked me out today." Ruby rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. "I have no idea you always get asked out but for some reason always turn everyone down, so who?" "Joseph Mills." Ruby's eyes got wide and started squealing. " I knew he had a thing for you! He always looks at you with this need to be with you." " I know I wasn't going to but for some reason I said yes. I know it's been a while but-" "But nothing get back out there you haven't been on a proper date in" she stopped to try to remember " in I can't even remember. I will want details lots of details and you better not leave anything out." Amara rolled her eyes at that. "Yes I will tell you details I promise, now are we still on for tomorrow I want this card game to be fun?" "Yes, I'm still coming Granny gave me the night off just for Poker Night I wouldn't miss it." She walked off when an order was up. Just then Henry walked through the door with Mary Margaret. "Hey Henry what are you guys doing?" "You need to come with us my mom had Emma arrested again, she framed her! We need to get to the Police Station quickly!" he said quickly. Amara looked up at Mary Margaret and raised her eyebrow. "Yes, it's true Regina made a stop at the school, I'm heading over there now to bail her out." "Well I'll come right along then." She swung around in the stool and grabbed her jacket and purse and followed them out the door to the police station.

They walked in just as Sheriff Graham was booking Emma. They over heard Emma try to convince Graham that she was being set up. Henry rushed in the room and Amara and Mary Margaret followed behind. "Henry, what are you doing here?" Graham asked noticing all the people in the room. "His mother told him what happened." Amara stated not happy with Regina for including Henry in that. Emma seemed just as mad. "Of course she did! Henry I don't know what she told you." "You're a genius!" he exclaimed cutting her off excitedly. "I know what you were up to, you were gathering information for operation cobra." All the adults looked at him confusingly. " I'm sorry, I'm a bit lost." Graham said. Henry looked at him and said, "All you need to know sheriff is that Miss Blanchard is going to be bailing her out." Emma looked at her in shock and suspicion "You are? Why?" Mary Margaret looked a bit taken aback about it. " Because I trust you." "See sheriff so if you would be so kind and uncuff my friend that would be so nice of you." Amara said with a smirk as Emma held out her wrists to Graham. "You heard them, now I just have something to do."

Regina and Joseph were sitting in her office when they heard a chainsaw. Regina got up from her desk and looked out the window and saw Emma cutting down a part of her apple tree. She stormed out of her office and bumped into Amara on the way out. " This is your fault" She glared at her and stormed off. Amara laughed in amusement and walked in to see Joseph. "Hey." She said as she stood by the doorway. He looked up from his chair and smiled at her. " Well Hello yourself." She walked in and sat down next to him. "I came with Emma, she's not very happy with Regina." He rolled his eyes in annoyance " Regina just likes to start stuff it'll blow over in a bit I don't feed in to her drama." " Its OK I'll just let them duke it out." They both laughed when they heard arguing coming from outside. Amara left with Emma with a smile on both their faces.

 _* The evil queen and Joseph were standing where Regina's first attempt at trying to cast the curse. " I don't understand what went wrong!" "Maybe it's for the best." Joseph turned as their father came to stand next to Joseph. "The forces you are trying to summon are darker than you both can conceive." Regina slowly turned to look at him as Joseph scoffed "So now you're trying to protect us?" "Its what I do for my children." "She knows father you're the only one who does." "Helping you two is my life's destiny." Regina turned her head. "Then help me to understand why this curse isn't working!" "If you really need to know then go back to the person who gave it to you in the first place." "Revenge and obsession are two lonely roads that once you go down it there is no heading back." " There is nothing for us to head back to father, the only path is forward where I will finally have my bride and Regina will have her revenge." Joseph finally stated after listening to his father try to talk Regina into giving up. "Go back? What do I have to go back to?" Regina asked._  
 _Regina and Joseph both went to Rumpelstiltskin's prison cell. "You can come on out now dearies its just you and me." They heard him say as they appeared from mice. Joseph cracked his neck as he was trying to readjust himself. "I hate when you have me do that." Regina just looked at him as Rumpelstiltskin laughed his laugh and came forward. "The curse you gave me." She started as she slowly turned her head toward him. "isn't working." She told him unamused. Rumpelstiltskin laughed again without a care all relaxed and Joseph raised an eyebrow at him. "So worried, so so worried just like Snow and her new husband and that sister of hers as well." "What?" Both siblings asked at the same time. "They paid me a visit as well, they we're so very anxious, about you two and the curse." Regina walked forward toward the bars. "And what did you tell them?" She asked menacingly. "The truth! That nothing can stop the Dark Curse!" Regina smirked evilly as Joseph laughed quietly to himself. "Except of course for Snow's unborn child." He continued with a mock frown. "You see no matter how powerful, all curses can be broken." He looked smugly at both siblings "Their child is the key, but of course the curse has to be enacted first." "Tell me what I did wrong." Regina pleaded to know. Rumpelstiltskin scoffed at her. "Even for that there's a price." "What do you want?" She asked him in a bored tone. "In this new world I want comfort, a new life." "Fine! You'll be rich and have an estate." " I wasn't finished yet! There's more!" "There always is with you imp get on with it!" Joseph said growing tired of this game they were playing. "Should I come to either of you for any reason you should take my every request!" Joseph rolled his eyes. "You must do whatever I say, the both of you!" He included looking up at Joseph. "As long as I say please HA!" "You do realize that if Regina does succeed you won't remember any of this right?" Joseph asked him in a smug voice as he walked closer to stand beside his sister. Rumpelstiltskin turned to look at him "Oh well then what's the harm?" He asked very sarcastically. "Deal." Regina said as she smiled at him. "What must I do right to enact the curse?" "You need to sacrifice a heart." "I did that my prized steed's heart." He jumped forward and grabbed her by the neck through the bars. "A horse?" He asked angrily. "This is the curse to end all curses the thing that gives nightmares to nightmares and you think a horse is gonna do? Great power requires great sacrifice my dear. The heart you need must come from something more precious to the two of you." "Tell us what will do." Joseph asked. " The heart of the thing you both love most." He whisper to the pair of them. Regina jerked out of his hold. "The thing I love most died because of Snow White." "Awe is there no one else you truly love? Remember has to be for the both of you. This curse isn't gonna be easy, vengeance and obsession never is. You two have to answer this one question, how far are you willing to go?" The siblings look at each other." As far as it takes." "Then quit wasting everyone's time and just do it already. You know what you two love together, so. Go. Kill. It." He tells them both as they turn to leave with glares on their faces. *_

Emma and Amara go up to Emma's room at Granny's before heading to dinner when they get stopped by Granny. "Miss Swan?" Granny asks as Emma put the key through the door. "This is terribly awkward of me." She starts nervously looking between Emma and Amara. "I'm afraid I need to ask you to leave." Emma raises her eyebrows in surprise. "I'm afraid we have a no felons rule." Amara scoffs as Emma laughs quietly. "Let me guess the Mayor just called to remind you." Amara said pushing her way inside the room. She nods quickly. "You can gather your things but I'm going to need your room key back. I am so sorry about this Miss Swan." "Its OK here you go." She hands over the key and Granny leaves. "This is ridiculous! Regina can't do that to you! That's OK I'll help you figure out something." Amara helps Emma quickly pack her things in her bag. "Thanks, you have been very helpful to me." "Of course that's what friends are for." She smiled as they left the room. They walk down to her car as Emma's phone starts ringing. She looks at the caller ID but doesn't know the number. She walks over to her car to answer it. Amara sits down on the sidewalk ad waits for Emma to get off the phone. She sees her throw her jacket in the front seat and slam the door. She walks back over to Amara. "Hey can we cancel that dinner? That was Regina I guess she wants to talk about Henry." Amara stands back up. "OK do you want me to come with you?" "No that's OK, I'll call you when I'm done with her." "OK, yea just let me know." Emma walks away as Amara heads back to the bar. She gets the back room set up for dinner with her friends.

 _* Regina walks down the hall of her castle as her mirror tries to talk to her. "What happened? Did you get your answer?" He kept asking. Regina walked to where her father was. "Did Rumpelstiltskin tell you what you needed to know?" He asked her sensing how troubled she looked. "I'm not too sure if I should say." "Well where's your brother does he know?" "He'll be along." She looks at her father briefly as she walks away. "I'm conflicted." She tells him in a monotone voice. "How bad is it? Maybe I can help you two." She sighs and for once in a long time feels an emotion that she hasn't felt in a long time. "I have to cut out the heart of the thing I love most." She almost whispers but he still hears her. "Me." She turns back around slowly with a sad look on her face. "Daddy I don't know what to do." "My dear, please you don't have to do this." She scoffs "I have to do something." " You both can move past this, I know you don't want to hear this but you don't need to enact the curse." "I can't keep living like this, what Snow did to me, what she took from me. Not to mention Joseph wants Amara he deserves her. She use to be my best friend I know that they would be good together. This whole thing is eating both of us alive Daddy! Snow must be punished and Amara must submit to Joseph." She tries to walk away but he follows her. "If the price is a hole that can never be filled why do it? Stop worrying about Snow White and Amara and start over. We can have a new life the three of us together." "But what life? All I worked for all I built would be gone! My power will disappear. They already think I'm nothing! And what about Joseph why can't my big brother have the girl that he wants." " Don't do it. Love. You can have that again." Her dad embraces her as she almost starts to cry. "I just want to be happy." " And you can be. I believe given the chance we can all find happiness the right way. But the choice is yours and your brother's." Regina closed her eyes and when she opened them she saw Joseph step closer to them. "You're right." She moved so she's looking at her father, she smiles at him. "I think I can be happy, just not here." Just then Joseph thrusted his fist through his father's chest and grabbed his heart and yanked it out. He fell to the floor dead as Joseph looked at Regina and murmured a small "sorry" at their father with just one small tear rolling down his cheek. *_

Amara, Ruby and Mary Margaret are all sitting down at dinner at the bar when there's a knock on the door. Amara stands up to answer it. "Coming!" She yells as she goes to the door. When she answers it Emma is standing there with two envelopes. "Hey" Emma greets her as she stands there. "I just wanted to say thank you for everything that you and Mary Margaret have done and here you go." She hands her one envelope as she hands Mary Margaret the other one. " Just want to pay back the bail money." They accept the money and Mary Margaret speaks up. "You look like you need to talk." Emma comes in and see Ruby sitting there. "I didn't mean to interrupt anything." "Don't worry about it I was just leaving." She turns to Amara. "I will see you tomorrow for the tournament." "yea see you then." Ruby leaves and Mary Margaret comes back in the room with three hot chocolates with cinnamon on the top. Emma takes a drink and is surprised to taste the cinnamon. "Cinnamon?" She asked surprised. "Yea sorry I should've asked it's a habit both of us like it you don't mind do you?" "No, not at all I actually love cinnamon on my hot chocolate." They all sat down and Emma started talking. "When you both bailed me out you both said that you trusted me, why?" Both Mary Margaret and Amara looked at each other before looking back at Emma. "Its weird but since you've come to town I've had the oddest feelings that we've met before and I'm not sure I know it's crazy." Mary Margaret said as Amara agreed with her. "It feels like I've known you for a long time and that I can trust you with anything. Is that crazy?" Amara asked after agreeing with Mary Margaret. "I'm starting to evaluate my definition of crazy." Emma said looking at both of them. "For what it's worth we both think you're innocent." Amara said looking straight at Emma. "For breaking and entering or just in general?" She asked with a small smile. "Whatever makes you feel better." Mary Margaret added with a small smile herself. The three of them laughed before Emma spoke again. " It doesn't matter what I did or didn't do, I'm leaving. I think it's for the best. If I stay Henry's gonna only end up getting hurt." "Who are you trying to convince us or you?" Amara asked and Emma just sighed not knowing what to say. "What's gonna happen if you go?" Asked Mary Margaret looking liked it pained her to think of Emma leaving. "I think the very fact that you want to leave is the reason why you need to stay." She continued not breaking eye contact. "You care about him." Emma is at a loss of words not knowing what to say back. "Whose gonna protect Henry if you don't?" Amara asked her trying to get her to stay. "You guys are right." Emma says standing up and grabbing her jacket. "There's something that I have to go do." She leaves to go see Henry.

 _* Regina and Joseph gather around the fire. Regina holds the box that holds their father's heart. She opens it and Joseph grabs it out of the box and throws it in the fire. There is a ball of thunder and dark green and purple smoke appears from the fire. It grows bigger and wider and pours out. Later Regina and Joseph walk to a grave. Its their father's grave. His name is Henry.*_

Amara walks home after she closes down the bar for the night. As she walks home she feels like she's being followed. She turns around but nothing there. She pulls her maze out of her purse, and quickly runs down the street to her apartment. She unlocks the door and heads inside. She takes a deep breath that she made it home. As she falls asleep she can't help but think about Emma and Henry and about this curse he talks about. She falls asleep and dreams. In her dream she is being chased by Regina in a strange dress and a mystery man saves her.


	3. Snow Falls

_Amara watched as Snow reached into the royal carriage and grabbed a something and took off on a horse. She followed closely in the woods not to be seen as she sees Snow hit the prince in the face with a rock. " I will find you! " He yells at her as she takes off on horseback. Amara laughs quietly to herself and follows her sister.*_

Amara walked into Granny's and noticed that Mary Margaret was on a date with Dr Whale. She smiles and goes to sit down. She looks over and sees that Dr. Whale is not paying any attention to her but to Ruby instead. When Mary Margaret asks for the check and leaves, Amara follows behind her. " Hey." She says as she catches up to her on the street. " Don't worry about him guys can be real jerks." She tells her while putting an arm around her as they continue to walk down the street. " I know that I don't even know why I agreed he's really not my type." "Why don't I come over and we open up a couple bottles of wine?" Mary Margaret doesn't answer her because she's looking at something off in front of them. She turns and sees what got Mary Margaret's attention. Emma was sitting in her car. They both walk over to her. "Hey" Mary Margaret starts. "Are you OK?" She asks Emma who looks over at them startled. "Oh in all the tight spots I've been in this doesn't even rate the top 10." She tells them reassuringly. "Wait you're sleeping here?" Amara asks her. "Yup until I find a place." "So you've decided to stay for Henry?" "Yea it turns out this town has no vacancies at all, is that normal?" "Must be the curse." Amara jokes leaning up against the car. "So why are you guys out so late?" Emma asked. "I am a school teacher not a nun." She jokes. "I had a date and Amara was just grabbing dinner." "By that look I take it things didn't go so well. Tell me he at least paid." "Are you kidding Dr Whale is a jerk who was checking out Ruby the whole time. I love the girl to death but sometimes she can be to much." Amara defends Mary Margaret. "Its alright guys if true love was easy we would all have it." She says sadly then looks at Emma. "If you have no where to go I do have a spare room." Emma looks surprised and caught off guard again. "Oh…Thanks...really but I'm not really the roommate type." "Oh well good night and good luck with Henry." Mary Margaret says quickly so they don't know that Emma's rejection for some reason stung. They watch her walk off. "You know Mary Margaret is a good person. I know what its like not to trust but she's someone you can trust. Good night Emma." Amara walks off to head to her apartment for the night.

Amara is getting ready to head to Granny's when she bumps into Joseph on the sidewalk. "Hey! Good morning!" He smiles at her very cheerfully. She smiles back at him. "Good morning." He moves closer to her. "Would you like to join me for breakfast?" He asks very confidently. "I would love to." She says excited that she gets to spend some more time with him. They walk in the diner and sit down in the booth. "I'm finally glad you decided to go out with me. Not to sound like a creep but I've been watching you and I very much like what I see." He smiles at her as she blushes. She can't remember the last time someone paid her this much attention. She really enjoyed it. Ruby came over to take their order. "Good morning guys what can I get for you?" She smiles at Amara and gives her a discrete thumbs up and a wink. "I'll have the French toast with a bagel." Amara says turning to Joseph. "I'll have the scrambled eggs with toast with a coffee." Ruby smiles and tells them she'll be back with their food. "Regina would have my head if she found out I was here with you." "Really? Why is that?" She asked surprised that he would even tell her that. "Well for starters she really hates your si-uh friend Mary Margaret. That and she's just been in a really bad mood since Emma came to town." "Yea I did notice that but Emma has every right to be here if she wants. I know Regina feels threatened but she really shouldn't." She voiced her opinion to him not liking that he brought Emma up. "You're absolutely right I'm sorry I brought it up." She smiled at him again thinking how he can really read her mind. Henry walked in the diner and gave them a strange look before heading over to them. "Hey uncle Joseph, Hey Amara." "Hey Henry how's school going?" Amara asks as Henry gets his hot chocolate. "its good we're volunteering over at the hospital today which should be fun! Ill find you after school! Bye uncle Joe!" He rushes as he rushes out the door. She laughs as he makes a face at the nickname. "I love that kid but I don't know how he can be so cheerful this early in the morning." Amara laughs "I completely understand. So what do you think about him and his whole story book theory?" She asked him curious as to what he thought about it. Joseph looked at her surprisingly for a second then asked her, "Well what do you think about it?" "I'm not too sure." She thought about it. " I mean obviously it isn't real. Fairy tales only exist in books and movies. But I have a feeling that he really believes its true and that's enough for him for it to be true. Who does he think you are?" She asked him. For some reason she had a feeling about not telling him what she really thought about it. " Oh just the Evil Queen's brother nobody special." They finished their breakfast with small chat and he promised he would call her later about Friday.

Henry came to visit Amara after he was done with school. He told her that they had to get Emma and that he had information about operation cobra. They met Emma by the ocean at an old playground that had an old castle made. Henry took out his story book and opened it up to a page with a man on it. "That's your father Prince Charming. He is the John Doe that is in a coma at the hospital. We have to tell Miss Blanchard we found her prince!" Henry exclaimed. "Henry?" Emma starts not really knowing what to say to him. Amara looks at the picture from over his shoulder. "See that scar? He has the same scar." "Well Henry a lot of people have scars that doesn't really prove anything." Amara said not wanting to encourage him on this. "But in the same place. Don't you know what this means?" He asked Emma. "The curse is keeping them apart, he's in a coma now they're stuck without each other. We have to tell her!" "OK Henry telling someone that they're true love is in a coma is hard enough but-" Amara stops not knowing what to say. "Giving someone unrealistic hope is far worse." Emma finishes for her. "But they have to know. Amara in the book you're the prince's best friend. You wanted them to be together." Amara looks at him. "How would we do that?" She found herself saying even though she didn't really believe him. "We remind them. We have to get Miss Blanchard to read him their story, then maybe he'll wake up and remember who he is." He told them with so much hope for his plan. Emma looks like she's in thought for a minute. "OK." She says "Really?!" Henry asks as Amara exclaims "What?!" "We'll do it but we'll do it my way." "Great! " he said happily. "Now Amara I need to warn you about my uncle he isn't who you think he is." Amara looked at him confused. "What do you mean he isn't who I think he is?" " He is evil and he helped the evil queen cast the curse so he could get to you. Read the book if you have to but you just need to be careful." He looked at her with such honesty and concern that she didn't have it in her to fight him. "OK Henry I'll be careful I promise."

Amara decided to let Emma take the reins on telling Mary Margaret because she had to go in to work. "Thank God you're here we are slammed tonight!" The bartender said as soon as she came in. "Go ahead and take a break I got this." She said grabbing her card and sliding it in the register. Later on after they slowed down a bit Emma walked in looking exhausted. "I could use a drink right now. " she said sliding on the stool at the bar. Amara reached behind her grabbed a glass and poured her a shot of Jack Daniels. She slid the glass in front of her. " It's on the house, just don't tell anyone then they'll all think they can get one. How'd it go?" Emma took a small sip of the whisky and sighed. "It went better than I expected it to she's over there now reading to him, I just dropped her off." "That's good, then Henry can know the truth for good this time." Amara said pouring herself a drink. "Yeah I just feel for Henry. I mean this might actually crush him." Emma finished her drink. "I know but he needs to know that this life is not a curse it's real...unfortunately." She murmured the last part to herself. She got her customers refills and went back to Emma thinking. "Emma what if Henry is right about everything? I mean I know it sounds absolutely crazy but what if it's true?" Emma looked at her like she had two heads. " It would be a complete shock, but we both know it's not true. Thanks for the drink I just wanted to check in." She stood up and grabbed her jacket. "Yeah I don't know what I was thinking of course it's not true. I will see you in the morning." Emma left and Amara finished her shift. When she went home that night she had another dream but this one was slightly different then her other ones.

 _* Amara followed Snow as she quickly packed up all their stuff. "OK sister this is where we part ways for now they're gaining on us if we separate it'll be easier for us." Amara said sadly as she got her horse ready. "Where will you go?" She asked not wanting her sister to leave. "I'll try riding east for a while hopefully Joseph won't think to look for me there. Then I'll find someone with a ship and head off to search for something I need to kill him." She quickly hugged her sister with tears in her eyes. "I love you Snow don't ever forget that. May we meet again." She got on her horse and took off in the opposite direction Snow was going. She made it to a small village about 2 days ride from the nearest port. She went to an inn and hid. She was sitting by the window when she heard a commotion outside. She looked out the window and seen Joseph and his men riding through town. Scared she quickly grabbed her stuff and snuck out of the room and headed downstairs. As she was by the door it was kicked open forcefully. Amara quickly ducked and headed around the corner to the back. She saw the door and slowly opened it. It was clear outside so she made a run for it. She headed to the nearest alley and his in the shadow. She stood there and tried to get her heart to stop beating so loudly.*_

Amara sat in the booth at Granny's with Henry as Emma came out of the back with a shirt on that definitely didn't look like it belonged to her. She raised an eyebrow at Emma in question as she went to sit down. "Thanks for the shirt kid. Is this your mother's?" She asked sitting down next to Amara. "She won't even notice at all." " Oh I bet she won't. If I know Regina which I'm pretty sure I do she will definitely know that that shirt is hers." Amara said grabbing the arm of the shirt as she said that. "Where does she think you are anyway? " Emma asked Henry as she batted Amara's hand away from the shirt. "Playing Whack-A -Mole at the arcade." "And she believed that?" "She wants to believe it so she does." He explained as if it were obvious. "Oh imagine that!" Amara imputed quite amused with Henry. He looked up as he heard the bell chime on the door. It was Mary Margaret coming in to meet up with them. She sat down next to Henry as both Amara and Emma looked at her expectedly. "He woke up!" She exclaimed as Emma and Amara both looked at her in shock. "What!?" They both said at the same time. "Well he didn't wake up wake up but he did grab my hand." "That's cause he's remembering!" Amara shook her head as if not believing her. "I didn't imagine it he actually grabbed my hand." "You have to go back and read to him again, get him to remember some more!" Mary Margaret looked over at Henry. "Alright! let's go!" She said excitedly as she and Henry got out of the booth and went to the door. Both Emma and Amara looked at each other in confusion and Emma stood up to follow them. "What?! You can't be serious?!" "If we made a connection, if I could get through to him." "You don't actually believe all this do you?" Amara asked standing up from the booth and coming up to Emma's side. "Of course not, but somehow, someway I touched him." She finished and went out the door leaving Emma and Amara very bewildered and to follow them. They make it to the hospital with Henry leading the way. "Come on guys he's waking up!" He caught Graham's attention as he was talking to the orderly. He turned to get to Henry. "Stay back Henry!" Graham stopped Henry before he could go any farther. Mary Margaret stopped by Graham. " Is everything OK? What happened to John Doe?" She asked worried for him. "He's gone missing." Graham said looking at Mary Margaret. He turns to look back in the room and all them see Regina standing there glaring at them. She comes out with an attitude. "What the hell are you all doing here?" She storms over to Henry and grabs his arm. "And you, I thought you were at the arcade. Now you're lying to me." "What happened to John Doe? Did somebody take him?" Mary Margaret asked Graham. She was very worried about him. "We don't know anything yet, the IVs were ripped out but doesn't appear to be any struggle." "What did you do?" Henry asked Regina in a mean accusing voice. She looked at him with a look of disbelief. "You think that I had something to do with this?" "It is strange that the mayor is here for a John Doe." Emma puts her input in. "You know who he is?" Amara asked Regina. "I found him." She corrected her. "On the side of the road years ago with no ID." Emma looked at her like she didn't believe a word she said. Amara looked at Emma. "Is he going to be OK?" Mary Margaret asked as Dr Whale came over. "OK? He's lucky to be alive he's been hooked up to machines and feeding tubes for years. He needs to get back right away or 'OK' might be a pipe dream." "Well then." Emma started to walk toward the exit. "Lets quit talking and start looking." "That's what we're doing?" Regina asked sarcastically. Amara sighed and rolled her eyes. "Just stay out of this dear." She grabs Henry and starts to walk away. "Since I can't keep you away from my son I guess I'll just have to keep my son away from you." She stood in front of her. " Enjoy my shirt because that's all you're getting." She smirked and turned to look at Amara. "And don't you have a date tonight with my brother. I'll be damned if I let you stand him up." Amara just glared at her. Regina turned to speak to Graham. "Find John Doe. You heard Dr Whale time is precious. She dismissed everyone else in the room and left. He sighed and looked at the doctor. "Doctor how long was it since you last seen him?" " 12 hours or so." Dr Whale answered with a shrug. "OK I think I know where to start." They followed him to the security room where Leroy was and one other guy was with him. Graham was talking to them while everyone gathered around. "You two were the only two employees on the floor and you're telling me you didn't see anything?" The guy sitting in the chair yawned then answered. "I didn't see anything." "Did anybody see anything?" Amara asked getting annoyed. Leroy looked at her with a shrug. Emma came forward suddenly. "We're looking at the wrong tape! Henry's class put up those decorations if we were looking at the right tape we would be seeing banners." "You fell asleep on the job again didn't you?" Leroy accused. "At least I don't drink on the job." The other guy fired back. "Alright enough!" Graham almost shouted at them. "So where's the real tape?" Amara asked looking back at everyone. When they found it they started watching it. They seen John Doe get up and walk out the side door. Mary Margaret sighed in relief. "Oh thank God he walked out alone. He's OK!" Emma looked closer at the tape. "4 hours ago. Where does that door lead?" "The woods." Leroy said.

 _*Amara starts to head back out in the street when someone behind her grabs her around her waist and covers her mouth with the other hand. She struggled and didn't stop until she heard his voice. "I knew I would find you." He whispered in her ear. "You can't hide from me." He chuckled and bent down to smell her hair. He moved his hand from her mouth. "What do you want from me?" She asked scared of him. He ran his nose from the side of her face to her jaw. "isn't it obvious? I want you." She struggles against him. She rams her elbow in his side. He grunts in surprise and she gets out of his grasp. She takes off running but it's no use, he appears in front of her making her stop suddenly.*_

Graham, Emma, Mary Margaret and Amara leave the hospital and head for the woods. They follow a path but stop when Graham loses the trail. "I thought you knew how to track." Emma asked him. "I do this is my world I got this." He walks off to find the trail. Amara stops and looks at her watch. "Oh crap guys I have to go get ready for my date, but call me when you find him OK." "We will go get ready, and have fun tonight. " Mary Margaret told her as she gave her a hug. Amara headed back toward the hospital to her car. She got back to her apartment and started getting ready. Regina and Joseph were talking in the living room. "Make sure you distract her tonight. I don't need anymore screw ups I don't know how or why he woke up but he did. If he remembers anything all we worked for to get would be for nothing!" Joseph sighed as he listened to her rant. "Nothing else is going to happen. Everything is going according to plan. I'm slowing making my way to seduce Amara and she will be mine finally and when Emma Swan leaves everything will be back to the way things were." He grabbed onto her shoulders and squeezed a little. "Now relax and have a drink and sit back as I seduce your best friend." He smirked at her and left the room.

 _* Amara screamed in fear as he backed her into the wall. "Please just leave me alone! I don't want anything to do with you." He smirked and walked closer until he was pressed up against her. He smirked and grabbed a piece of her hair and gently pulled. "I want you to be mine. We can rule together alongside Regina." She pulled her head away from him. "I will never be with you. Haven't you already figured it out? I am running from you and will always run from you." H got angry and punched the wall beside her. "You. Are. Mine. Learn to accept that or die." He pulled a knife out from his belt and ran the blade along her neck. Her eyes widened before unexpectedly she shoved him away from her.*_

She was just putting her lipstick on when there was a knock on her door. She took a deep breath and reached to open the door. On the other side stood Joseph in all his glory in a gray turtleneck shirt a leather jacket, black pants and black boots. When she opened the door and he saw her he was at a loss of words. He couldn't believe he finally had her willingly go on a date with him. "Wow! You look incredible!" She blushed and grabbed her coat. "Thanks, you look really good yourself. You ready to go?" "Yea. Lets go." He ushered her out the door and into the elevator.

 _* Amara pushed Jacob away from her and punched him in the face. He back handed her and she fell to the ground. "Don't mess with me little girl. You won't like the outcome." She kicked him in the stomach sending him to the ground. She kicked him again until he was unconscious. Then she took off running into the night, not knowing where she was going.*_

The restaurant that he took her to was very expensive and nice. It was right by the water front. She felt a strong feeling to be by the ocean. The usher took them to their table, out on the patio right in front of the ocean. " Wow the view is spectacular!" She was amazed at how beautiful it was. He took the seat across from her. " I'm glad you approve. It normally takes weeks for a reservation but I was lucky." " Well this is really amazing. I'm glad I came tonight. " She smiled at him.

 _* She ran through the woods hearing him behind her. She kept running, when she felt she was far enough she hid behind a tree. She waited a couple minutes and didn't hear anything. She slowly looked around the tree and didn't see anything. She turned back around and let out a scream. There he was standing right in front of her. He lunged and pushed her against the tree. He grabbed her neck and hit her head on the tree. Her vision started getting blurry as he leaned in closer to whisper in her ear. "If I can't have you then no one can." He threatened as he pushed on her neck. She grabbed his wrist with her hands to try to get him to let her go. All of a sudden a blast of power came from her as he went flying back. She stared at him in shock. "What did you just do?" He stood up and laughed. " Oh you have magic? This is even better than I thought." She glared at him and raised her hands. "Stay away from me." He laughed and turned to walk away. " I'll be seeing you real soon." He turned and walked away leaving her there. *_

Amara starts as dinner got brought to the table. " Henry warned me about you today." She jokes. Joseph raised his eyebrows at her. " Oh really and why is that?" He asked clearly trying not to show that he's not amused. " Well, in this story book he thinks that you're this man who is obsessed and wants this girl." He looks at her for a second. " Well I do happen to want a girl right now so maybe he's right." She laughed and blushed. He smiled and reached across the table and grabbed her hand.

 _* Amara sat at the table and wrote to Snow. ' I made a big mistake leaving on my own. I think we can survive together. Please write me back so I know you're OK. ' She rolled it up and tied it to a bird. " Take this to Snow White no one else." The bird flies off and she looks out the window.*_

Amara and Joseph walk down the street back to her apartment. Just then her phone rings. She looks at the caller ID and sees Emma's name on the screen. She let's it ring and puts it back in her purse as they reach her apartment building. "This is me." She says as they stop in front on the door. " I had a wonderful time tonight. " " I did too. I hope we can do it again." She smiles and leans forward and kisses him lightly on the lips. "I'll call you." She smiles and pulls away. He grabs her back and slams his lips back on hers. She wraps her arm around his neck into his hair. He pulls away after a minute. " Good night Amara." He pulls away and turns and walks off. She sighs and leans back against the door as her phone rings again. She answers it seeing it was Emma again. " Hey how did it go?" She asked. " We found him we're at the hospital now." OK I'll be right in. " She hangs up and rushes over to her car. She meets up with everyone as they're standing by the door. " Hey I came as fast as I could! How is he?" Before anyone could answer a woman came rushing past then "David?! Oh my God!" She rushed to his bed side but the orderlies pushed her over to the side. "Who is she?" Mary Margaret asked. " His wife." They all turned to see Regina standing there smirking at everyone.

 _* Amara heads off on her horse forward. She doesn't know where she's going. All she knows is that now she has the power to finally help herself against Joseph. *_

" His name is David Nolan and that's his wife Kathrine. Seeing that joy on her face puts me in the forgiving mood." She states looking at everyone. " How was your date with my brother. I hope for your sake you finished the date before rushing over here." She glares at Amara as she just sighs and looked away. " And you." She states talking to Henry. "We'll talk about your insubordination when we get home. Do you know what that means?" He just shakes his head. " It means you're grounded." Just then Kathrine walks out of the room and looks to Mary Margaret. " Thank you for finding David. It means so much." She looks nervous. " I uh I don't understand. How did you not know he was here? " She nods in understanding. " Uh a few years ago David and I were not getting along and it was my fault I know that now, I was difficult and unsupportive and I told him he should just leave. So he did. It was the worst mistake I ever made. Now I know why I never heard from him. Now I get a second chance." She smiles. " That's wonderful. I'm happy for you." Mary Margaret says trying to hide her disappointment. Amara looks over and sees Regina looking smug about everything. The doctor came out telling them that physically he was fine but his memory was gone. " Well what happened what brought him back? " Amara asked curiously. " I'm not sure it seems that something just clicked. " He explained. Mary Margaret looked deep in thought about what the doctor had said. " So he just woke up and decided to take a stroll?" Emma asked sarcastically not believing the story. " He woke up, he was in a haze and his first instinct was to go find something I guess."they tried to rationalize "Not something, someone." Henry corrected and everyone looked over at him forgetting he was there. Regina gave him a look. Kathrine and the doctor walked off back in the room. " Henry let's go." Regina says walking off. Henry got up and went to follow her but stopped and looked at Mary Margaret. He whispers to her. " Don't believe them. You were the one he was looking for. He was going to the Troll Bridge! Just like the end of the story! " "Henry he was going there because that's the last thing I read to him." She sounded defeated. " Its because you belong together." He said trying to get her to believe. She just looks at him. "Henry come on." He leaves and follows Regina out the door. Emma looked deep in thought before she rushed off after Amara walked up to Mary Margaret and put her arm around her. " Come on let's get out of here." They walk out of the room and see Emma talking to Regina. They head back to the loft with some chocolate cake and wine. As they're eating the cake there's a knock on the door. "I'll get it." Amara says as she stands up with a fork in her mouth. When she opens the door she's surprised to see Emma standing Margaret walks up to stand beside her. " Hey. I was wondering if that spare room was still open." Emma asked looking awkward. Mary Margaret smiles as she moves out of the way letting Emma through. Amara smiles at her and shuts the door behind them.


	4. The Price of Gold

The bells chime as Amara walks down the road as she heads to Granny's for breakfast. She runs into Emma as she is putting Henry on the bus. "Hey, I'm glad you're not taking Regina's threat to heart." Amara smiles as she walks up to her. " It takes more than a verbal threat to scare me off." They laugh and go to walk to Granny's when they hear Graham's car siren going off and he pulls onto the side walk in front of them. They both stop clearly amused by what he's doing. Graham steps out of the car as Amara crosses her arms in front of her. "What's with the siren Graham no one takes you seriously here, at least I don't." she says with jokingly attitude. "Well I'm trying to get Miss Swan's attention seeing as how you are no longer on the market by what I hear from morning chatter." She rolls her eyes. "It was one date, I knew people around here can't keep their mouths shut." "Miss Swan it is so hard to get your attention." He said to Emma ignoring Amara's comment. "Well you have it now, what are you arresting me again?" He shakes his head. "No, I'm here to thank you, for helping find David yesterday, we all owe you a debt of gratitude." "Well what do I get? Accommodations? A key to the city?" she jokes. "How about a job?" Graham asks seriously. "Really?! I helped too don't I get a job?" Amara fake pouts. "You already have a job besides who is gonna support our Wednesday night card night if not at your bar?" Amara rolls her eyes. "Alright, Alright I can take a hint, I'm gonna go ahead I'll catch up with you inside alright Emma." She says. Emma turns to her. "Yea alright I'll be in in a few." "Bye Graham try not to arrest any of my customers again today alright." She says walking off across the street. She almost makes it when she hears her name being called. She turns around and sees Joseph rushing to catch up to her. "Hey." She smiles at him when he catches up to her. " Good morning beautiful. Would you like to have breakfast with me?" He asked before bending down and giving her a kiss on the lips. She smiled up at him. "I would love to but I'm meeting Emma. Maybe we can do lunch? Would you like to come over to the bar later?" He sighed. "OK, lunch sounds good I'll see you then." He turns around and heads off.

She made it to the diner and passed Regina as she was coming out the door. "How was your date with my brother? She asked her blocking her from moving forward. "Is there something you want Regina?" she asked starting to get defensive. "I just want you to know if you're going to be involved with my brother I don't want you anywhere near Emma Swan. Do I make myself perfectly clear." she threatened. "Regina. You don't own me and I'm not scared of you like everyone else is either. I can be friends with who I want and you can't stop me. And not once has Joseph mentioned anything to me about this. But if he had then its between me and him not you." She pushes past Regina and bumps her shoulder with hers. She goes in and sees Emma sitting down already. "Hey Rubes, can I get a hot chocolate please with a cream filled doughnut?" she asked taking off her jacket and sitting across from Emma. "Hey, so I just had a fun run in with your best friend." Amara jokes as Ruby brings over her breakfast. "Here you go, hey are we still on for drinks tomorrow?" "Yea I wanna try out some new liquor I got shipped in." "Great! I can't wait!" Ruby walks off and Amara turns back to Emma. "Yea she cornered me too already." She says and Amara goes to reply but Emma spills her hot chocolate all over the table and herself. "Oh crap!" She exclaims. "There is a laundry room in the back you can use Granny won't mind." Amara tells her helping her wipe it off the table. Emma walks off to the back as Ruby comes over to help her. "I hope she's OK, I've come to like her I don't want Regina to scare her off." "Yea me too. I have a feeling she is gonna be sticking around for a while.

Amara was wiping down the counter and getting things ready to open the bar when Henry and Emma come in looking for her. "Hey Amara, we really need your help." Henry exclaims sitting down at the counter. Amara looks at Emma with raised eyebrows questioning why the both of them need her help. "We do actually. I was wondering if you knew anything about Ashley Boyd. She works at the diner with Ruby." Emma explains to her sitting down beside Henry. "Yea. I know Ashley she is a good kid I let her work in the back in the kitchen. Why what's wrong?" Amara asked getting worried about Ashley. Emma sighed then started explaining to Amara. "Apparently she stole something from Mr. Gold last night." She starts as Amara's jaw dropped in shock. "What?! Ashley stole something from Mr. Gold? Way to go Ashley!" she laughs as Emma continues. "Yea. But he wants this as hush hush as can be so he asked me to find her and return whatever it was that she stole from him." "So what do you need from me?" she asked as Henry spoke up. "You can come with us and talk to Ruby, she listens to you and will tell you anything. But if its just us she won't." Henry says as if it were obvious. Amara sighs and tells writes a note down on the back board about she went out and to whoever is due to open go ahead and open without her. "Perks of owning this place." She smiles at them as they walk out the door. "I can come and go whenever I need to." They get in Emma's bug and drive off to the diner.

 _* Amara joined Snow and Charming as they went to Prince Thomas and Cinderella's wedding. Amara was on one arm of Charming and Snow was on the other arm. The crowd parted as the Royal Family went to greet the newly weds as they ascended down the stairs. Amara hugged Ella first. "congratulations I am so happy for you." she tells her with a fake smile. She was upset that she had just recently had to leave the love of her life. Snow hugged her secondly also congratulating her. There was dancing and fireworks as the night went on. Since Amara didn't have a date, Thomas's cousin asked her to dance. He had the same blonde hair, blue eyes as Thomas and he was fairly attractive so she said yes. Snow grabbed Amara and they went to Ella and pulled her into a dance. "I am so happy for you." Snow said as the three of them spun around dancing. "You are an inspiration to us all." She continued. Ella just gave her a look. "All I did was get married." She said brushing it off. "No." Amara says. "All you did was prove that women can change their lives." Amara said proudly. They smiled and twirled and went back to their dance partners. Amara looked over and seen Ella dancing with Rumpelstiltskin. She looked over worried wondering why he was here. She seemed fine until he spun her and left. She looked like she was about to cry. Amara quickly ran over to her. "Hey are you OK?" She asked wrapping her arm around her. Ella just nodded her head. "Yea. I'm fine. He just wanted to rattle me up that's all." she said to reassure her. Amara didn't believe her but she let it go, wondering why Rumpelstiltskin was there and why Ella lied to her.*_

They were out front of Granny's talking to Ruby as her car was getting towed. "So this boyfriend of her's, do you think he would have anything to do with her disappearance?" Emma asked while Ruby was giving a table their food. She looked over at Amara as if to decide whether to tell her about Ashley's life. She scoffed and continued. "That would mean he was involved at all. He left her as soon as he found out they were expecting. Hasn't spoken to her since." She stands in front of the three of them. Her car all of a sudden got jerked off the platform. Ruby rushed around them. "Billy! Hey Billy!" she yells at him. He turns around to look at her. "Watch it alright, you almost shattered my wolf. She looks and sees her red glass wolf charm hanging from the visor. "Sorry Ruby." he looks down into the car. "It's alright Ruby look." he points at it. "No harm done." She smiled at him flirty. "Uh Ruby." Amara says as her and Emma rush up to her. "What about her family?" Emma asked. Ruby turns back around. "Uh she has a step mom and two step sisters she doesn't talk to." Amara stopped and stared at her funny. Step mom? Two step sisters? That sounds an awful lot like..."Wait a minute." Henry turns to them. " A step mom and step sisters? And she's a maid?!" Henry tells them pointingly. Amara had a sudden since of Deja vu. "Henry not now." Emma tells him before Ruby can hear. He sighs and doesn't say anything else about it. " I don't know what you heard but its wrong." Ruby states angrily. "Everyone thinks that she's not ready to have this kid. She's really trying you know, taking night classes trying to pull herself together." Emma looked at her like she knew exactly what she was talking about and going through. "Can you understand that?" she asked them desperately. Emma nodded her head and Amara just looked at her and smiled. "Yea. I think I can." "Then maybe you should just stay out of it she's been through enough already." "Hey. Come on Ruby we're just trying to help her that's all. She's probably scared and alone and that's not good for the baby." Amara says seeing as Emma wasn't getting anywhere with her. Ruby looked at her and sighed. "Then try her ex." "Where can we find him?" Emma asked Ruby looks at Emma. "He lives with his dad." She says disgusted at the guy. Emma and Henry headed for the car. "Thank you Ruby, I know that wasn't easy and I know you hate to betray your friends, but she does need our help." Amara tells her sensing that she was mad at her. Ruby just smiled and walked back inside.

They find the house. It was in the nice part of town. Amara and Emma got out telling Henry to stay in the car. Emma knocked on the door. A guy about 19 years old answered the door. "Shawn Herman?" Amara asked standing with her arms crossed. "Yea. Can I help you guys?" he asked. "I'm Emma Swan and I'm looking for Ashley Boyd." "She's in trouble Shawn, we were just wondering if you could help us." Amara finished for her. An older man came up on the porch. "My son does not have anything to do with that girl anymore." he stated. He walked up the porch steps and stopped in front of Emma. "Whatever trouble that girl is in I'm sorry for but we can't help you." He tells them. "You're the reason he broke up with her." Amara accused. "Absolutely." he confessed. "I will not have my son ruin his life over a mistake." Amara scoffed at him with disgust as she turned to look at Henry, just sitting in the car. "So you just told him to leave her?" Emma asked. "What were they suppose to do? Raise a child in the backseat of a car?" he retorted back. " Some people only have a backseat of a car!" Emma said getting defensive. "Well it's not going to happen to my son." He finished and stormed into the house. "We should at least help them look dad." Shawn defends back. "Its no good son." he says dismissively from the house. Amara having enough walks up to Shawn. "Shawn if you want to come and get people to stop making decisions for you. If Ashley runs away with this baby she is gonna be in serious trouble." Amara tells him hoping to get him to come help. "She's running away with the baby?" he asked shocked. "Yes." Shawn's dad comes back out. "Shawn inside. Now." Shawn has a stare down with his dad until he relents and walks away. His dad sighed and looked toward the girls. "Look believe me if i knew where she was I would tell you guys. I went through a lot of trouble to get that girl that deal." "Deal?" Emma asked as Amara asked "What are you talking about?" "You don't know?" he asked. "She agreed to give up the child and she's getting paid very well to do so." he tells them. "She sold the baby?" Emma asked with an emotion Amara hadn't heard from her before. "You make it sound so 18 century." He commented unamused. "I found someone who was gonna find that child a good and proper home." he defended himself to her. "Who are you to judge that Ashley is not capable of providing that?" Amara said getting angry. "She's a teenager! When has she shown any means of being responsible and possibly know how to be a mother?" he argues back. "Well maybe she's changing her life!" Emma defended. "Everyone says that. Now look I got someone who paid Ashley extremely well. Someone who will see to it that everyone is happy." he tells them. " Oh my god! Its Mr. Gold." Amara says finally realizing why he wanted Emma to find Ashley. "Isn't that why you were hired? To bring him the baby?" Amara looks at Emma with a realization that she had been tricked.

As they're in the bug Henry is trying to convince them that they can't cross Mr. Gold. " No one has ever broken a deal with him before Emma." Amara says trying to talk her out of finishing this job. "Happy to be the first." she retorted back with conviction in her voice. "If Ashley wants to have her baby then she should have it. If she wants the chance to be a mother than she should have it. We all should have it." Amara looked back and seen Henry looking at Emma with a look that she didn't know was good or bad. They made it back to the diner. Amara stormed out of the car to talk to Ruby. She pulled open the door and made her way right to the counter and started on Ruby. "Why didn't you tell us she sold the baby?" She almost shouted at one of her best friends. "I didn't think it was important." Ruby said back as if it wasn't a big deal. "Ashley's my friend I don't like the thought of people judging her." "I'm your friend too Ruby! You know for a fact that I wouldn't judge her or disrespect her. But you lied to me." She turned around and stomped off back outside. She went back and stood in front of the car. A couple minutes later Henry came back out without Emma. He walked over to her. "I guess Ruby gave Ashley her car and sent us to Shawn's as a distraction." He tells her as she just shakes her head. "I can't believe Ruby would do this. I mean not to tell me? That's insane!" Before she can finish her rant her phone rings. "Hello?" she asks into the speaker without looking at the caller ID. "Hey its Tim, we're slammed in here when are you coming back in?" her bartender Tim asked her. She sighed into the phone. "Give me ten minutes and I'll be in." She hangs up the phone as Emma comes out of the diner. "She left about a half hour ago. If we hurry we can still make it." Emma said hurrying over to the driver's side. "I can't you have to do this one without me. I have to head over to the bar apparently were swamped for it being 3 o clock. But call me if you really need me and I'll be there." "OK I'll call you later." she said and sped off toward the town line. Amara walked back to the bar to take care of the rush.

 _* Amara and Charming led a very pregnant Ella and Thomas down below into a cave prison where they had the dwarfs building a prison cell. "Why are we down here?" Ella asked seeming very disturbed. "We need a place to keep him." Thomas explained. "Rumpelstiltskin is the most dangerous man in all the realms he needs his own special prison." Amara started. "So we converted the mines into a holding prison." Charming finished her sentence as they all kept walking further. "But how do we get him here he's elated all forever." "His strength is also his weakness, his deals." Amara continues. " We know he can't resist making them, and we know who he wants to deal with next." Amara said cryptically. "You." Ella's eyes widen as they continue on farther in the mines. "We sent word with Snow's bird's to him and he's accepted the meeting with him." Charming tells her explaining the plan. "You're gonna tell him that Doc heard something on the stethoscope. Two heartbeats." Thomas cut in. "You're going to tell him we're having twins." He stops as Amara finished. "And if he wants both, which he will, you will post a new deal." Amara finished and she stopped. She opened up the lid of the book she was holding and it revealed a feathered ink pen. "Quill?" Ella asked confused looking at the pen than at the others. "I don't understand." "I casted a spell on it." Amara explains. " Whoever signs with this will be frozen and all magic will be made impotent." Amara explains to her. "All you have to do is get him to sign the contract." Charming tells her in a gentle voice. "Ella this man is a terror, a menace. You will be doing this whole world a favor." Amara says to her holding up the quill pen. "Are you sure we should be using magic? Magic is the reason this is happening how can we trust this magic doesn't have a price." " Then I will pay it. I will do whatever is needed to save you and our child." Hearing those words cut a hole in Amara's heart wishing she could be with him right now. But she made her choice and he must never find out who she really is. A magic welding princess. "Let's go." Charming said softly breaking Amara out of her thoughts as they carried on through the mines. Charming opened a door led to a hollow rock informed room and in the very back was a large holding cell. "I hope you like it a lot of magic went into that cell." Amara said walking up to stand beside Ella. "Are you sure it'll work?" She asked. "Once here's in there he'll never get out." Charming confirmed. "You'll be safe Ella, trust us." Amara said nodding at her. "You can do this Ella." Thomas tells her grabbing her face gently. With a new look of determination Ella agrees. "OK, let's get him."*_

When she got to the bar she noticed that Tim was telling the truth. It seemed like everyone wanted to be in to have a drink. "Hey not that I'm complaining but why is everyone here and not at work?" she whispered to Tim as she slid in behind the bar to take care of customers. "Well apparently your boyfriend decided to let everyone out early and bought his whole workers rounds here." He rushed out as more people came up wanting drinks. "So...what do I just send him the bill?" She asked him since he seemed to know more than she did. "He said he will be in later today to pay for all the drinks." She went to Leroy who was sitting on the stool pouting into his beer. "What's the problem Grumpy, you're getting free beer out of the deal." She told him sarcastically leaning against the bar. " I don't want to talk about it sister, but I will take another beer." She sighed and grabbed his bottle to throw it away and get him a new beer.

 _* They watched from a far as Ella was talking to Rumpelstiltskin. They seen her pull the contract out and him grab the quill. He looked at it for a second then talked to her to warn her about tricking him. Amara had a bad feeling about this plan. She seen him grab the contract and sign it with the cursed quill. Once he was frozen and Ella hollered for Thomas they came out. "No one breaks deals with me dearie." He tells her promisingly. Amara runs up to her as they pull the carriage up. "No matter where you are or what world or land you find yourself in, I assure you. I will have your baby." He growls at her as Amara pulls her away into her arms. "No magic can hold me for long Amara you remember that." *_

A few hours later she is finally able to go back into her office and sit down. She checked her phone and noticed she had 6 missed calls, 1 voicemail and 5 texts from Emma telling her that she found Ashley and she had her baby. She rushed out and told Tim to take over that he should be fine. She was able to leave when she stopped in her tracks when she seen Joseph standing in front of her car with a red rose. She smiled and walked over to him. "Hi." She says taking the flower from him and smelling it. "Hey beautiful." He says pulling her closer to him. "Hey I need to make a quick stop before we go to dinner." She tells him giving him a peck on the lips. "Sure of course, anything you need." "Good I need to meet Emma at the hospital Ashley Boyd is having her baby!" They jump in the car and rush to the hospital. They rush in just in time to hear the nurse tell Emma that the baby was a healthy baby girl. "Hey, sorry I'm late, I got held up." She tells Emma and Henry who were sitting in the waiting room. "It's OK, She just had her." Emma said smiling. Just then Gold walked up. "Well isn't that fantastic news." All heads turned in his direction. "Excellent work Miss Swan." He praised her walking up closer to them. "Thank you for bringing me my merchandise. And thank you Miss Hurley for helping her. She couldn't have done it without you, almost seems like magic doesn't it?" He smirked at her while he said that last sentence.

 _*Charming and Thomas load up Rumpelstiltskin in the back of the carriage while Amara still holds Ella. "Hey it'll be OK. We did it! He can no longer come after you or anyone else." she tries to reassure her. Thomas walks back over and she goes to him and Amara walks back over to Charming. She looks over and sees that Ella is finally smiling and she leans in and kisses her husband. Just then Ella started to have cramps in her stomach. Thomas got her to sit down. She wanted to go over and help her friend but she was helping Charming finish securing the gate. Thomas rushes off to get her water. "What did you do?!" Ella demands as she comes storming up the hill surprising Amara and Charming. "Ella what's wrong?" Charming asked. "What did you do to my Thomas?" She ignored the others and just kept demanding from Rumpelstiltskin. "I haven't done anything. If you haven't noticed I've been otherwise encaged." He told her with a sarcastic tone. "But you know what's happened to him tell me!" She demands. He leas forward to her. " I have no idea dearie, but I did warn you all magic comes with a price." He smirks "Don't listen to him Ella we'll find Thomas." Amara tells her as she pulls her away from the cage. "No you won't. Until that debt is paid. Until that baby is mine. You're never going to see him again. Mark my words Cinderella I will have that baby." He tells her as Charming pulls her away. "I told you dearie, that messing in things you don't understand will only hurt you." He smiles at her evilly. Amara just smiles back and leans against the bars. "I will defeat you one way or another. I know something about you that you didn't want anyone to know and I will expose you for who you really are. A coward." She spits that last word at him and for a second she sees a flash of surprise in his eyes but it changed too quickly. "All in good time my dear." *_

Emma walked to Gold while Amara stayed with Henry and Joseph. "Henry aren't you suppose to be home right now?" Joseph asked with his mock stern voice. "You're not gonna tell on me will you?" Henry asked almost pleading. He looked at Amara before answering him. "I think I can let it slide this one time." Joseph tells him smiling at him. Amara smiled when she seen the brief exchange. She walked back over to Joseph and sat down next to him. "We'll leave here soon I just need to talk to Emma and Gold. She stands up and walks over to them and comes in at a bad time. "If anyone understands giving up a baby I assumed it would be you." She heard him tell Emma. "You're not getting this kid." Emma continues with him. "We have an agreement and my agreements are always honored." He told her starting to get angry. "If not I'm going to have to involve the police. and that baby is going to end up in the system. And that would be a pity." "Its not gonna happen." She continues to argue. "I like you're bravery. " "but now I'm going to involve the cops, after all she did break into my shop." "Let me guess to steal a contract." Amara states standing beside Emma. "Who knows what she was after Miss Hurley." "There is no jury in the world who would convict a woman of breaking and entering when that was the means of keeping her child." He just looked at Emma. " I'm willing to bet the case won't hold up, are you?" Amara tells him smirking. "Then of course than there's all that stuff that would come out about you. I know no one wants to admit it but you're not just a pawn broker aren't you?" Amara continues. He smiles at Emma. "I like you Miss Swan you're not afraid of me and neither is Miss Hurley, and Id really like to have you on my side." "So she can keep the baby?" Emma asks. "Not just let he declares. "There's still the matter of my agreement with Miss Boyd." "Its simple tare it up." Amara tells him like it's obvious. He turns back around and looks at her as if she should know. "That's not what I do. Contracts or deals well they're the foundation of everyday existence." He turns to Emma. "Do you want Ashley to keep her baby? If so are you willing to make a deal with me?" She looks at him before answering. "What do you want?" She asked. He smiles in victory. " Oh I don't know just yet." He smiled smugly. "You'll owe me a favor." He tells her. Emma looks at him before walking up to him and shaking his hand. "Deal" she tells him before walking away. "I told you Miss Hurley nobody breaks my deals." He walked away as she stood there confused as to why she suddenly remembered him telling her that.

While Emma and Henry went in to see Ashley, Amara walked back out to the waiting room to Joseph. "Hey." She greets him sitting down in the chair next to him. "How's Ashley doing?" He asked her turning so he was facing her. "She's doing really good, she gets to keep her baby so she's happy about that." She smiles at him while she sees Shawn walk in and go to the front desk. "Is Ashley Boyd here?" He asked looking worried. Amara stand up to greet him. "Hey Shawn she's in room 212 if you wanna go see her." She tells him. He looks at her relieved. "Yes thank you so much." He hugs her and walks off down the hall. "So do you want to get out of here or wait for Emma?" Before she had the chance to answer Emma and Henry rushed out down the hall. "Hey we got to go it's almost 5 we got to get Henry back!" Emma said coming up to them. "Go ahead and go we'll catch up later." Amara gives Emma a hug. "Yea OK sure Henry let's go." She heads out he door as Henry looks at Joseph. "Thank you uncle Joseph for not saying anything to my mom." He gives him a hug and Joseph smiles and hugs him back. "Don't worry it'll be our little secret." Amara smiles seeing them together. Henry goes and follows Emma. Amara turns to look at him. "Thank you for being cool with this. I know this is putting you in a difficult position being Regina's brother and all-" Joseph cuts her off when he leans down and kisses her. He pulled back after a couple of minutes. "Its my pleasure. Now let's go eat I'm starved." They head out of the hospital.


	5. That Still Small Voice

Amara and Joseph were sitting down at Granny's eating dinner. "So what is Henry doing tonight?" She asked wondering how he was doing since she hadn't seen him a couple days. "Regina has him seeing Dr. Hopper tonight." he told her. "Awl OK. So I heard Graham hired Emma as a deputy, that should be interesting." Amara said jokingly. Joseph laughed, "Oh yeah, Regina is going to love that when she find out." Just then they heard a loud rumble and the place shook. Everything started falling from the counters and tables. "Are you OK?" Joseph asked Amara who had fallen out of the chair. "Yeah I'm OK. What was that?" She asked getting up while Joseph helped steady her. "I should call Regina and find out what that was." He walked outside to call her. "Hey Ruby do you need any help with that?" she asked her friend who was cleaning up a bunch of plates and food that had fallen on the floor. "Yeah thanks that would be great." Amara grabbed a trash can and rags and helped Ruby clean up the floor when Joseph came back in. "OK so there was an explosion out by the old mine. She wants me to come out and help. Do you want to come with me or I can take you home?" He asked her helping her stand back up from cleaning on the floor. "I'll go with you maybe there is something I can do to help. I can call Timmy maybe he can bring out some water or something." "Sounds good let's go." He lead her out the door and into the car.

When they pulled up there was already a bunch of people at the site. They got out of the car and seen Regina giving orders. Amara seen Emma standing over by Graham. She left Joseph's side and went to stand by Emma and Graham. "Hey do you have any idea what happened here?" she asked her in shock at seeing the size of the crater that the explosion had caused. "Just that something exploded inside. As soon as the site is cleared I think they're going to send people inside, but I'm not sure." Regina walked over to them. "Miss Swan this is official town business you're free to go now." "Actually Regina there is something you don't know." Amara tells her with a smirk on her face. Regina looked at her then at Emma. "Well by all means Miss Swan do tell me." she demands losing patience with the both of them. "I work for the town now." she tells her. Regina is shocked and looked at Graham for confirmation. "She's my new deputy now." Both Emma and Amara look at Regina with smirks. "Well." Regina tries to compose herself. "They say that the Mayor is last to know." She still does not look happy about it. "It was in my budget." Graham defends. "Indeed." She glares at Graham then looks over at Emma and Amara. "Deputy make yourself useful and cover ground control, Amara help her. I'm sure it shouldn't be too difficult for you. We all know how you're good with a crowd." Amara just smiled at her and walked off with Emma. "So what do we do first." Before Emma could answer Regina started speaking to everyone. " People of Storybrooke don't be alarmed. We've always known that this cave was filled with old mining tunnels. Fear not I'm going to undertake the project to make this area safe." Amara turned and seen Archie show up with Henry. She waved them over and they made their way over to her as Regina finished her speech. "We're going to rehabilitate this property for city use. We will flatten it bulldoze it then collapse it and then pave it." After she said that Henry stepped around her, looking angry at his mom. "Pave it? What if there is something down there?" Regina looked shocked to see Henry there and fighting back with her on this. She went up to him and grabbed him lightly. "Henry what are you doing here?" She asked him. "What's down there?" He asked her ignoring her question. "Nothing now stop, and step back." She pushes him back to Amara. "In fact, everybody please step back." Regina motioned with her hands and everyone took several steps back. Amara and Henry noticed that Regina picked something up off the ground, looked at it for a while then worryingly put it in her pocket. "Did you see that? What was that?" he whispered to Amara. Regina heard him and stomped over to them. "Henry enough!" She pulled him away from Amara and Emma to talk to him. After they talk Henry walked toward the car and Regina turned to them. "Miss Swan tape off the area, Amara find my brother and have him take you and Henry home." She walked off before anyone could abject.

Amara was trying to find Joseph but couldn't find him anywhere. She heard Henry call for Archie so she walked over to see what he wanted with Archie. "This requires all of Operation Cobra." he starts as Emma sees them and walks over. "I didn't realize I was in Operation Cobra." Archie said mostly just playing along. "Of course you are, you know everything." He turns to Emma and Amara. "We can't let her do this what if there is something down there?" "There is just a bunch of old tunnels Henry." Amara tells him not wanting to get his hopes up. "Yea they just happen to collapse just as Emma gets here." He looks at Emma pleadingly. "You're changing things, and weakening the curse." "That is not what's happening." Emma says trying to be stern. "Yes it is." He continues confidently. "Did you do anything differently today that would make this happen?" Emma looks down and grabs her badge with her hand. That got Amara thinking about what if Henry could be right about everything. "Didn't you accept the position as Deputy today?" Amara asked wanting to confirm her suspicions. Before Emma could answer Regina and Joseph came over seeing Henry out of the car and talking to them. "Henry didn't I tell you to wait in the car?" Regina asked looking at Amara. "And didn't I tell you to find my brother? This isn't a place you need to be if you can't offer any help." Joseph looked at Regina with a raised eyebrow not liking the tone his sister was giving the girl he was dating. "Regina, sister I love you but we have more pressing manners to attend to then you yelling at people for no reason. There will be something she can do to help." Joseph tells her standing over by Amara and wrapping his arm around her. Regina clearly mad turns to Emma, dismissing her brother completely. "Deputy, do your job." she tells her angrily before storming off.

The next day Amara got a frantic call from Joseph saying that Henry went into the caves and got himself trapped. She quickly told him to pick her up and they would go up there together. She wanted to be with him when he was this worried about his nephew. Once they get there Emma pulls her away from Joseph so they could talk. "Henry went down there on his own so he could prove to us that something was down there." She told her in a bit of hysterics. She tries to comfort her the best she can. "Hey, it'll be OK. We will find a way to get him out and everything will be alright I promise." Emma just looks at her. "Please don't make promises you can't keep." "It is one I will keep, now what all did he say to you before he went in there?" Emma sighs remembering what all happened before. "He showed up at Mary Margaret's crying that Archie didn't believe him and that all he said about the curse was just an illusion. " She stopped to take a breathe. "Then I went to Archie's to chew him out about making Henry cry like that. Then Regina calls me and asks if Henry is with me, I had dropped him off at her office an hour before that." She takes another deep breathe and looks at Amara. "Then Archie figured out where he went and here we are." She finishes. "Where is Archie now Emma?" Amara asked just now noticing that Archie is no where to be seen. "Just as the entrance was collapsing he ran in there after him. So now we have to find out where they are and how we can get them out." Emma says as more people start to show up. Joseph walked over to them. "Miss Swan, you've been here the longest what can we do to help?" he asked as he put his arm around Amara's waist pulling her to him.

They try to pull the rubble from the entrance, when it shakes again. Regina goes over to Emma and starts yelling at her. "Stop! Stop! You're just making it worse!" "I'm trying to save him!" she yells at Regina right back. Amara has enough and goes to intervene. "Enough! We are all doing all we can it doesn't help to be yelling at each other." She turns to Regina " Do you have anything in mind?" She asks. Regina nods. "Yes. Help me. We need to find something big. Something to punch the ground." she tells them. "something like explosives." Marco says from standing next to Graham. Joseph and Marco get the explosives and get them set up. They all stand back. "Are we all clear?" Emma asks. "Yeah we're all good." Amara says standing beside Joseph. "Blow it." Regina says as Graham lights it and it explodes. Joseph covered Amara so the blast wouldn't hit her too much. Once the smoke cleared Emma went to go look. "Did it work?" Regina asked as Emma ran back over. "No. It didn't work." She looked like she was about to cry. " So what did it do?" Amara asked as her and Joseph came to stand by Regina and Graham. "What the hell was that?!" Regina exclaimed as she stormed up to the workers who put the explosives together. "Regina just calm down." Amara tries to comfort her. " Calm down?! They could've killed my son!" She exclaimed. "If we could just figured out where they were exactly. We could just drill right to them." Marco says trying to help. Amara looks over and sees Pongo sitting in the fire truck barking. She snacks Emma's arm to get her attention. She points over at Pongo. " Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" She asks her hoping she gets the point. Emma looks at her and smiles and they both run over and Amara let's Pongo out of the fire truck. Everyone turns to see what they're doing confused. "Archie's dog." Emma says as they follow to where Pongo has gone. They all follow and stop when Pongo sniffs something. "He's found something." Amara informs everyone. Pongo starts digging in a spot and whining. "This must be where they're at." Amara exclaims getting down and started to dig. Graham, Marco and Emma help her in digging. Eventually they peel a piece of big square metal out and underneath it revealed an opening. "What is that?" Emma asked helping Amara stand back up. "It looks like an air shaft." Graham tells them and Regina points her flashlight down the hole.

They get the tow truck and use the crane and lift the shaft bars off the top. Joseph pulls Amara back as the Regina and Emma lean over to look down at the now uncovered hole. " So what's next?" She asked crossing her arms looking at Graham. "We need to lower someone down there before the lines on the sides collapse." Marco stated getting the crane ready. "I have a harness." Graham stated going to get it. "Alright then lower me down." Regina states. "No." Emma argues. "I'll go." She looks like she doesn't want to argue but won't back down. "He's my son." Regina starts to get an attitude. Amara rolls her eyes at Regina's behavior. Emma sighs but argues back. "He's my son too." Regina looks surprised at Emma.. "You've been sitting behind a desk for 10 years. I can do this." Emma tells her. Regina stands closer to her as if to intimidate her. Amara was worried that Regina was going to start a fight. "Just bring him to me." Emma smiles and walks off to get harnessed.

Once they got her harnessed up Joseph and Graham started to lower her down. Amara walked over to Regina and put her hand over her shoulder. "Hey. Emma will bring him up I promise." She said trying to comfort her. Regina looked at her and smiled softly. A couple minutes later they hear screaming from down in the shaft. "Bring them up now!" Regina orders going over to stand by the hole. Amara walks over on the other side with Joseph as she helps them pull the harness rope up. After a couple good tugs Emma appeared with a terrified Henry wrapped around her neck. All you hear is clapping as they continue to bring them up. There we're smiles all around as Marco and Graham pull Archie out. As soon as Emma was released Amara quickly wrapped her arms around Emma in a big hug. "Don't ever scare me like that again." She cries happily as she gives Henry a big hug as well. Amara sees Emma go over to Henry while Regina had him, and seen her dismiss Emma. Amara having enough of Regina's attitude walked over to Henry. "Come here sweetheart." She coos as Henry gives her a big hug. "There's someone who wants to see if you're OK." She whispers to him. He leaves her side and goes over to Emma and gives her a hug. Regina just glares at Amara and walks off to Dr Hopper. Amara doesn't listen but by the look on Regina's face she guessed Archie was really telling her how he felt about how Henry was being treated.

Amara walks over to Joseph as he just finished putting the harness back in Graham's car. "So we did it." She smiled leaning up against his car. He laughed and leaned beside her. "Yea we did. I was so scared that we wouldn't get to Henry in time." He looked over at her with a very serious and honest face. "Henry means the world to Regina if she lost him I don't know what she would do." He tells her. Amara moves over to him and leans her head on his chest. She wraps her arms around him. "Are you ready to go?" He asks kissing the top of her head softly. She looks over and sees Emma sitting with Henry. "In a minute I wanna talk to Emma then we can go OK." She tells him kissing him lightly on the lips and heading over and sitting down on the other side of Henry. "Archie's father?" Emma asks watching Marco and Archie talk to themselves vividly. "No." Henry tells her. "They're just really old friends." Amara finishes watching them as they talk. Emma looked over at Henry and took his hand. "You really scared me today." "I'm sorry." He tells her honestly. Marco and Archie walk over to the three of them. "Gentlemen." Amara acknowledged them. Emma sighed. "Alright kid let's get you to your mom she wants to take you home." She goes to stand up but Henry stopped her. "Wait." He tells them. "Do you hear that?" He asks everyone. They all stop to listen. They could all hear crickets in the background. "Crickets?" Archie asked with a knowing smile on his face. Amara and Emma looked confused. Henry looked at the adults. "See things are changing. Everyone just had smiles on their faces. Amara was standing by Joseph with his arm wrapped around her, drinking a beer that she had Tim bring over. She looked over and seen Regina drop something in the shaft. She all of a sudden got a strange feeling.

Later that night Amara was in bed sleeping where she had another dream. This time it was about Regina. She was dressed in a long black dress that had a plunging neckline and really long hair. span style="font-style: italic;"*"Regina stop this, this is madness! We are family." Amara exclaimed as she watched Regina plunge a sword into Snow White's heart. Then all of a sudden Joseph was there but he wasn't the kind man that she grew to knew. This man was dark and evil and he wanted to take everything she loved away so there was only him.*/span Amara wakes with a start gasping for air. She looks at the clock and sees that it is 1:15 am. She sighs and collapses back down on her pillow to sleep not realizing that her dream was closer to the truth then she realized.


	6. The Shepherd

A few days later Amara found herself in the Nolan's living room with a bunch of people as they all welcomed David home from the hospital. There was a sudden round of applause as David and Kathryn walked through the front door. Amara was standing over with Emma and Henry by the staircase as Joseph was walking around socializing with Regina. "You know why he doesn't remember?" Henry asked excitedly at Emma and Amara. "The curse isn't working on him." He told them as if it we're obvious. "Henry the reason he doesn't remember is because he has amnesia." Emma told him. Amara was just sitting there watching David true to socialize with people who he didn't know. She had the sudden urge to save him from those people. "The amnesia is stopping the curse from putting fake memories in his head instead of the fairy tale memories." He argues back with her. Amara turns to look at Henry. "Right because everyone here has fake memories from keeping them from knowing who they really are, including me right?" Amara asks jumping back in the conversation. "Right." Henry agrees with her, happy that someone is finally agreeing with what he's saying. "Now is our chance to get to him to remember who he is." He turns back to Emma. "That he's prince charming." Emma finishes his sentence for him. "We just have to jog his memory by getting him and Miss Blanchard together." Amara look over with a face. "Didn't we just try that?" She asked skeptically. "And it woke him up didn't it?" H retorted back. Before Amara or Emma could say anything back they we're interrupted. "Hey." David said walking over to them. "You're the ones that saved me right?" He asked them and they stand up so they could talk to them better. "Oh yea that would be us." Amara says smiling awkwardly. "You're also they only ones I know." He admits to them. "Well you can hide out with us." Emma invites as the waiter comes up and offers what's on the tray. David grabs a tooth pick and stabs the mini hot dog with it. Henry notices what he does. "So." He starts. " Have you ever used a sword?" He asked as the adults laugh at his question. "A sword?" David asked clearly amused by Henry. He turns to talk to Amara and Emma. " Amara? Is it?" He says looking at Amara. "And Emma? Right?" He asks looking at Emma. "You guys know Mary Margaret right? Emma you live with her. Do you know if she's coming tonight?" He asked and Amara almost felt sorry for him that she knew her friend didn't make any plans to show up tonight. "No she couldn't make it." Emma says keeping it simple, also knowing that she didn't want to come tonight.

In the next room Joseph and Regina we're talking to Kathryn in the kitchen. "You should go out there." Regina tells her trying to get her to go out of the kitchen. "There is plenty of food. Go." She tells her again as she grabs the bowl Kathryn had in her hands. "My sister is right you should be with your husband." Joseph said trying to coax her out. Kathryn looks like she is going to cry any second. "I've lost him once. And I have him back. But it feels like I don't really have him back. You guys have no idea how that feels." "Actually we do." Regina tells her. "I lost someone once too. But the love I lost there is no bringing him back. You have a chance here. Go to him." Regina tells her again grabbing the plate she picked up and placed it back down. "You're right. Thank you both." She looks at Joseph. "Amara is very lucky to have you." He smiles at her. "And thank you Regina, for being such a good friend. I've been so lonely I'm not use to having one." She confesses to her. "Neither am I." Regina tells her back. "Well you have one now." She looks at Joseph too. "The both of you." She walks out into the living room to look for David. Joseph turns to look at Regina while leaning one arm on the counter. "Looks like your plan is still going good. As long as Mary Margaret stays away from him all will be fine." He reassures her. She looks at him and glares. "Keep Amara from helping Emma and things will go a lot better." He glares back at her. "Nothing is going to happen Regina." He stands in front of her staring down at her. "So stop being so paranoid and relax and reflect on the fact that we won. Snow White is unhappy and not with her prince and Amara is finally mine. So enjoy yourself. Emma will move on in time." He turns and walks out of the room.

Amara was sitting on the front porch drinking a beer and thinking about everything when David comes outside. She looked at him. He didn't notice her yet. He looked like it was all too much for him to be inside. She makes a noise and he finally seen her on the porch swing. He walks over to her. "Hey." He says. "Can I sit?" He asks pointing to the empty seat beside her. She smiles at him. "Sure come on down." She says scooting over so he had room. They sit in silence for a minute before she breaks the silence. "I take it, that it's all too much for you in there." She says figuring it out. He looks at her with a sigh. "Yea. As much as I try to remember my life I can't. And I want to so badly for Kathryn. But something is telling me that it's not right." He looks at her." And the only person that I can think about is Mary Margaret. Does that make me a bad person?" She chugs the rest of her beer before answering. "It doesn't make you a bad person at all. Mary Margaret was the first person you seen when you woke up so that makes sense. And I totally know what you mean. It seems as soon as Emma came to town I've been questioning everything. And I don't understand why." She turns so she's facing him completely. "Life is too short for 'what ifs', if Mary Margaret is someone you want to see and spend time with then I think you should." She finished. She goes to take a drink but realizes that it's empty. "Damn I'm empty." She says standing up. "I'm gonna get another. Do you want me to grab you one?" She asks heading towards the door. "No. I'm fine thank you. I think I'm gonna take a walk." He tells her. She smiles at him knowingly. "Alright. Good deal. I will see you inside." She walks back in the house and straight to the fridge for another beer.

Amara walked back out into the living room and seen Emma and Henry talking with Dr Whale. Before she had the chance to go over there. Kathryn came up to the group. " Have you seen David anywhere?" She asks them. Emma looks around but nobody seemed to know where he was but Amara. Before she could walk over to them Joseph comes over to her. "Hey sweetheart." He greets her putting his arm around her waist. She tenses a bit but not enough to where he would notice. Ever since she had that dream she became a bit distant from him. She didn't know why but her head was telling her not to get too involved with Joseph Mills. "Hey." She greets back smiling at him softly. "Are you enjoying the party?" He asked her leaning down closer to her. "Yea. I'm having a good time. I've been catching up." She tells him. "Regina and I are going too leave here soon. Do you want to go with us or are you going to stay?" She seems to think about it. Even though she wants to distance herself she can't seem to want to do it. "Yeah. Sure I'll leave with you whenever you're ready to go." She tells him snuggling up to him. That seemed to satisfy him as he pulled her closer to him. She went up to talk to Emma. "Hey. We're going to leave." Amara tells Emma. She looks up from talking to Henry. "Already?" She looked around "Have you seen David?" "Yea. He said he was going for a walk." Amara reassured her. "Awl OK." Before she could say anything else Joseph came over and wrapped his arm around her. "You ready to go?" He asked her. "Yea whenever you are. I'll talk to you guys later." "Bye Amara. Bye Uncle Joseph." Henry said giving them both a hug. They said their goodbyes to the party and made their way out the door. Joseph walked her to her apartment. They reached the steps and she turned to look at him. "Thanks for bringing me tonight. I had fun." She told him with a smile. He smiled back at her. "Good I'm glad." He leaned down and kissed her. She kissed him back. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he gently grabbed her waist pulling her closer to him. After a couple minutes the kiss started getting heated. Amara pulled away breathless. "I could come up." He whispered in her ear. For some reason the thought of him coming up to her apartment didn't sound so good. "I would love that, but I have to get up early." She let go of him and made her way to her door. "Good night." She said and went through the door. She shut it softly behind her before she could hear his reply to her.

The next morning Amara makes her way to Granny's. When she got there she heard that Regina was giving Mary Margaret a hard time. "You're this close to wrecking multiple lives." She heard Regina say to her. Wanting to defend her friend she made her way over to the table. "Regina. If you want to talk about ruining lives you should look in the mirror." She had no idea why she said that or where that thought came from but she just had to say it. Regina looked at her in surprise. "Excuse me! But nobody was talking to you." Regina stood up and got inches from Amara's face. "I think you should leave now. Clearly she has no idea what you're talking about but you have no right to come in here and accuse her of anything. And clearly if he left his wife he was unhappy." She moved so she could whisper in her ear. "So you mind your own business and leave my friend alone. Your Majesty." Amara said moving away from Regina to sit down at the table. Regina bent down putting her hand on the chair. "You need to remember who is in charge around here. My brother won't be able to save you for long." She grabbed her purse and stormed out of the diner. "Are you OK?" Amara asks Mary Margaret. "Yeah. I'm fine thank you. But you shouldn't said that stuff to her. Now she's going to be coming after you now." Amara rolled her eyes. "She can bring it. I don't know what I was thinking being friends with her." She said as she flagged Ruby down to order breakfast.

Amara was pulling a box of beer out of storage in the back when Joseph came storming in. "AMARA!" He shouted to get her attention. She came out of the back with the box. "What?" She asked putting the box down and facing him. "What did you say to Regina earlier? She's very pissed off?" He asked her looking mad. Amara sighed and defended herself. "Look she was grilling Mary Margaret for no reason and I'm tired of it. I'm sorry that she's your sister but I won't keep my mouth shut because she's your sister. If she's pissing me off I'm going to tell her." She said defending herself. Joseph just looked at her and grabbed her and slammed his lips on hers. She was in shock for a minute then recovered and kissed him back. He pushed her against the bar counter and deepened the kiss. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer. Before it could go any further Mary Margaret came in. "Hey. I really need to talk to yo-" She stopped when she seen the scene in front of her. Amara pushed Joseph away to his annoyance. "No it's fine what's' up?" She asked trying to catch her breathe. "I was wondering if you could come with me to see Emma, I need both of your advice." She asked shyly catching the eye of Joseph who scoffed. "Yeah. Sure I have a few hours to waste." She turned to Joseph. "I'll see you later?" she asked grabbing her coat. "Of course. I'll text you." "Great." She said giving him a peck on the mouth and rushed out the door behind Mary Margaret.

When they got to the station Emma was talking to Graham eating donuts. "Hey. Can we have a word with Emma for a sec?" Mary Margaret asked coming over with Amara following behind her. "Yeah sure I'll just patrol my office." Graham said walking away from them so they have their space. Emma look at Amara and Mary Margaret. "OK. What's going on you two?" She asked eating her donut. "I have no idea. She dragged me here she wanted our opinions on something together." Amara told Emma but looking at Mary Margaret confusingly. After a few seconds she finally started speaking. "He left his wife." "What?" They both asked her at the same time. "David! He left her Kathryn!" She told the both of them excitedly. "Whoa." Amara starts but Mary Margaret kept talking. "He did it. He left her for me. And now he wants me to meet him tonight." "OK slow down." Emma says trying to catch on to what was all being said. Amara just looks at her with wide eyes trying to take in everything. "He just keeps coming. I tried to be strong I really did. But he wants me to meet with him." "Then you should go." Amara says cutting off Mary Margaret's rant. "He left her. He made his choice." Amara starts and Emma finishes. "Its one thing to say he wants you, but to actually do it. You should go." Amara looks at Mary Margaret with a smile. "I agree with Emma. He actually left her. If this is what you want you really should meet him tonight." Mary Margaret seemed to be calmed down a bit. "Given her new friendship with Kathryn I don't figure Regina will be happy." Amara snorted sarcastically while Emma replied to her. "All the more reason to do it." Mary Margaret just looked into space with a dreamy look on her face. "Good lord is this really happening?" She asked. Amara and Emma shared a look. Amara wrapped her arm around Mary Margaret. " I don't know you tell us."

Amara left and headed back to the bar. She had been neglecting the bar for a while for Emma and the problems in Storybrooke. Tim was swamped with customers when she went back in. She instantly took over giving him a break. Later on while she was wiping off tables when they slowed down Regina decided to show up. She walked right up to her. "May I have a word Miss Hurley?" She asked walking up to her. Amara looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Yea. Sure let's go in the back." She said putting the rag behind the bar, and leading her to the back room. Once they were in the office and she had the door closed. She turned to Regina. "What can I do for you Madam Mayor?" She asked leaning back against the door. "I have a few things to say to you. First don't you dare undermine me in public like that again. I am the mayor and I will not hesitate to take action against you. And second what did I ever do for you to hate me so badly?" She asked her catching Amara off guard. "I- I don't know Regina. But i know that I'm tired of fighting. It's not good for the town." Amara said putting up her invisible white flag. " I completely agree Amara. I don't want to fight I'm calling a truce. Don't interfere with my business with Emma and I won't interfere in your relationship with Joseph." Amara sighed. "You need to know Regina that Emma is my friend if I see you treating her bad I will say something. But I won't start fights with you in public about it." She finished and raised her hand to Regina to shake. Regina looked at her and shook her hand. Once her hand touched hers she got a flash of memories. Memories of Regina and her talking and laughing and having fun. The curious thing was they were dressed in dresses that she never once owned or wore a day in her life. She dropped Regina's hand and leaned back against the door. "Umm... I'm not feeling too well right now. You should go." She walked out of the room without a look back at Regina/

After Amara shut down the bar and closed down she was not feeling any better. She could not get that flash of fake memory out of her head. She knew it couldn't have been real. Not once has she been that friendly with Regina especially dressed as if it was a past life. She was so in thought she didn't realize she ran into anybody. She looked up and noticed it was Joseph she bumped into. "Hey sorry I didn't see you there." She tells him leaning into him and giving him a hug. "Are you OK?" he asked sensing that something was wrong with her. "I'm fine." She leaned back to look at him. "I just had a really bad day. Actually something weird happened today. Regina and I called a truce today." She started looking at him. He raised his eyes in surprise. "You did? That's good." He tells her with a smile on his face. "Yea it was. But the strangest thing happened. When we shook hands I got a flash of something in my head about me and Regina. But the weirdest thing was we were dressed as if we were in the past. What could that possibly mean?" She asked him once they started walking again toward her apartment. He stopped and looked at her in surprise, but quickly covered it. "I'm sure it was nothing. I wouldn't think too much about it." He tells her. They walk to her apartment and stop at the door. She turned to look at him. " Wanna come in?" She asked. He smiled and he leaned down to kiss her. After a couple minutes he pulled back. "Not tonight. I'll call you tomorrow." He kissed her again longer this time. After about ten minutes she pulled back and told him goodnight. He left and walked home with a genuine smile on his face. He was slowly falling in love with her and wanted to be a better man for her.


	7. The Heart is the Lonely Hunter

It was a Friday night everyone was either at Granny's or The Rabbit Hole. Currently Amara was tending bar and she was watching Graham angrily shooting darts with her deer darts board. She had to admit he was good for already having like 5 shots. Sydney Glass was sitting in the Booth in front of the dart board. "Nice shot Sheriff. Bet you 20 bucks you can't make it again." Sydney drunkenly bet him. Graham glared at him and took the shot that Amara brought over to him. Without looking at the board he threw the dart dead in the center along with the other two darts. Sydney's smirk fell off his face as Graham turned to him. "The next round is on him." He tells Amara and pulls a dart out of his pocket. Emma comes around the corner and sees Graham. Amara knew why Emma was avoiding him. She had told her that she caught Graham sneaking out of Regina's house because they were sleeping together. "Hey Emma." Amara greets trying to defuse the tension. "What can I get you." She asks her. "Nothing I'm good." Emma said without looking at Graham and went to pass them by. Both Graham and Amara watched as Emma went to the door. Before Amara could stop him he threw the dart and landed on the door inches from her face. Everybody turned to stare at what just happened. "Graham!" Amara shouted at him in shock. Emma turned around in shock. "What the hell!?" She exclaimed angrily turning around to face him. "You could've hit me." She crosses her arms over her chest. He just smirks in a challenge clearly drunk. "I never miss." He walks towards her completely ignoring Sydney as he had pulled out a bill to give to him. "You've been avoiding me since last night." He stands in front of her now. "Yea since I caught you leaving the mayor." Amara's eyes go up in shock that they were having this fight here in front of everybody. "OK everybody back to your drinks nothing to see here." Amara shouts trying to get them at least a little bit of privacy. "Its your life Graham I really don't care." Emma tells him and walks out of the bar. Graham follows after her. "Alright everyone free round on me." Amara tells people as they were trying to follow them out the door. Everybody heads to the front to get their drinks.

 _*Regina and Joseph look on from above as Snow and Amara mourn over their father's grave. Regina snarls as she turns to go leaving Joseph to watch Amara from a far. Both Snow and Amara dressed in black lay flowers down on his casket. "Goodbye father." Snow cries as she lays the rose down. Amara wraps a comforting arm around her shoulders as she too lays a flower down. "We will miss you and love you forever." Amara whispers as she has tears coming down her face. Regina appears behind them. "I'm so sorry girls." She faked sympathy. "I loved him so much." Snow cries to Regina more tears coming down her face. Joseph came up to them. He gives Amara a hug. "I'm so sorry my dear. I know how much he meant to you." He whispered in her ear pulling her close to him. Regina pulled Snow into a hug. Both siblings looked at each other and smirked. "If there is anything that either of us can do please let us know." Regina tells them. "I may only be your mother through marriage, but I am here for you both. Truly. Forever." She tells them. Amara was too distracted to notice that Joseph didn't take his arm away from her waist and he had her still pushed up against him in a half hug. Snow hugs Regina again. "Thank you Regina. You don't know what that means to us." Amara tells her finally pushing herself away from Joseph._

 _Joseph was walking with Regina through the castle. "Congratulations your revenge is almost complete." Joseph tells his sister. She smirks at him. "One down. One to go." She smirks evilly as she walks over to her mirror. In appears a face. "They have no idea do they?" The mirror asked her. "That I'm responsible for his passing? And that Joseph is going to use this to get Amara? They both sought comfort with us. Although that was good on Joseph's part. Sickening for me." She glares into her other mirror looking at herself. "I could've ended Snow's miserable existence right there. Believe me it was tempting." "Patience my dear sister." Joseph walks up behind her and starts to rub her shoulders. "Soon we will both have everything we want." They met each others' gazes in the mirror and smirked evilly. "Unfortunately the kingdom is still loyal to them. They would turn on us in a heartbeat if we act to quickly or stupidly. They don't know the rancidness inside Snow that I do." Regina says blanking out for a minute as if remembering. She looks down at her small mirror that the face is enchanting. "We must be delicate in this next phase. Her demise must be handled with care and Amara's kidnapping must go perfectly." Regina pushes herself away from Joseph. The face follows her to a bigger mirror. "Perhaps one of your knights? Your majesties." The face offers options to help them. "No." Josephs declines. He seems to think for a second. "We need someone who is adapted to murder and capable of handling a kidnapping." Regina smiles. "Someone who lacks mercy." She continues. "Someone without a heart." The face says. "Now you finally understand." Joseph states rolling his eyes at the mirror. "In that case you need a huntsman." The mirror tells Regina completely ignoring Joseph's comment. *_

Amara was locking up the bar when she seen Graham come across the street to get to his car. "Hey Graham!" Amara shouts to him as she runs over to stand by him. He looks completely messed up. She noticed that he was sweating and not acting like himself. "Hey." She says to stand in front of him. He looks at her as if he's looking right through her. "Are you OK?" She asked him clearly worried about him. She put her hand out over his forehead. "Jeez you're burning up. Why don't I give you a ride home you're not feeling well." She offers. He pulls his keys out as if to hand them to her. He still won't say anything to her but she knows that there is something wrong. "I'm OK Amara really. I just had a bad night." He tried to reassure her but dropped his keys in the process. They both bend down at the same time to get them. When they both look up they see a wolf just staring at them. "Oh my God!" Amara exclaims and scoots back behind Graham. They both stand still as the wolf just looks at them. Amara is in a state of shock that an actual wolf is standing right in front of her. She got a close enough look to notice that it had one red eye and one black eye. It looked at Graham for another minute then moved along down the street into an alley and out of sight. Amara didn't notice but she clung herself to Graham in a death lock grip. She finally stands back up. "Get in the car Graham I'm taking you home." In still a state of shock she grabs the keys off him and gets in the driver seat. He opens the passenger door and slides in. She starts the car and she heads in the direction to his house. "OK. So that definitely was a wolf." Amara says mostly to herself. "But there's not any wolves in Maine is there?" She asks looking over at Graham. She found him passed out. She takes a deep breathe and pulls in the driveway. She pulls out her phone and makes a call. "Hey sweetie. I know it's late but I need your help with something." She says over the phone.

Amara gets woken up to a banging on her door. She stumbles out of bed and goes down the hall to the door. "OK OK I'm coming give it a rest." She exclaims as the pounding continues. She opens the door and is surprised to see Graham standing there with his eyes wide and he looked like he was hyperventilating. "Whoa calm down Graham. Are you OK?" She asked as she ushered him in to her living room. "I had a dream last night of that same wolf. It can't be a coincidence. I'm going to go look for it. Do you want to come with me?" He asked her not seeming to calm down. Figuring she should go with him to keep an eye on him was for the best. "Yea I'll come. Just let me get dressed first. Help yourself to some water or anything to eat." She looks back at him as she walks to her room to change.

They are rushing through the woods. Amara is trying to keep up with Graham as he zooms through the woods. He stops all of a sudden as she catches up to him. He's looking off at the bushes. Before Amara can ask anything Mr. Gold appears from behind the bushes. Amara takes a deep breathe in relief. "Good morning sheriff and Miss Hurley. Sorry if I startled you." Amara let's out another breath. "Its OK you didn't startle us at all." She tells him with a friendly smile. "Yea sorry we thought you were a wolf." Graham confessed catching his breath. Mr. Gold just gave them a smile as if he knew exactly what they were talking about. "Did I forget to shave?" He jokes winking at Amara. "What are you doing out here so early?" Graham asks him. Finally starting to sound normal instead of all winded and paranoid. "Just a little gardening. And you two?" Amara steps closer. "Well we were looking for a-" she gets cut off. "A wolf. Yea I seem to be catching on. To the best of my knowledge there are no wolves in Storybrooke. Not the literal kind anyway. Why are you two looking?" He asked kind of suspiciously. "You'll think we're crazy." Graham says. "Try me." Gold insisted. "I saw one in my dreams. Then we both seen one for real last night." Graham says confiding in Gold. He looks as if he knew what Graham was meaning the whole time. "I do wish I could be more helpful to the both of you." He says walking up past them as to leave. "You know Sheriff." Gold starts turning back to look at both of them. Amara had a strange feeling. " They say that dreams are like memories. Memories of another life." He finishes cryptically. Amara having a strange feeling in her stomach. "And what do you believe?" She asked him, curious as to know the answer. "I never rule out anything." He looked at Amara cryptically as if he knew something that they didn't and smirked at her. Both Amara and Graham looked at each other confused. "Good luck Sheriff. I really do hope you find what you're looking for." He turns and limps away out of sight. They both turn around and look at each other. "Come on this way." Graham says leading them farther in the woods. Amara followed behind reluctantly.

 _*Regina and Joseph stand in front of the mirror as they seen the scene of the huntsman defending himself and his wolf. "He's perfect." Regina exclaims. "Bring him to me." She finishes and smirks at Joseph. He smiles. "I agree sister." He turn toward the guards. "You heard your Queen. Bring us that huntsman." He barked at them with so much authority.*_

Graham ran through the woods loosing Amara in the process. Amara rushes to try to catch up to him, but he knows those woods better than anyone else does. Luckily she doesn't lose sight of him to much since he want being very quiet. She catches up with him when she hears a wolf howl. he finally stops over a fallen tree and she rushes over to stand beside him. Then they both see the wolf as it takes off through the woods. They both jump over the log and races to catch up with it. Graham is faster than her and takes off farther after it leaving her a bit behind. She finally stumbles up to him stopped right in front of the wolf. They both stare wide eyed at it as it looks at them. "What do you want?" Graham asked the wolf. The wolf whines and goes to take off. Graham shouts at it. "Hey!" Then he whistles. Amara looked wide eyed as she seen the wolf turn around and walk right up to Graham as if he recognized his whistle. "How did you know to do that?" She asked softly so not to spook the wolf. "I don't know." He says and goes to pet it. Then all of a sudden Graham retracted his hand as if he was burned and the wolf took off. He turned to look at Amara and he looked at her completely different. "I never hurt you have I?" He asked her. She looked at him confused. "No. Graham are you OK what happened?" She asked him completely confused. He was breathing heavily. "I saw you and Mary Margaret except her hair was different. And I raised a knife to both of you." He looked at her with wide eyes. "Graham." She tried to reason with him. "You have never hurt me or Mary Margaret OK. Why don't you sit down for a minute." She tried to reason with him. "No." He shook his head and started backing up. "I have to go. I'm sorry." He turns around and rushes away through the woods. "Graham wait!" Amara shouts at him and tries to catch up to him. But he was too far gone. She walked back to town by herself thinking about what just happened.

 _*The huntsman gets escorted into the castle and is greeted by Regina lounging on her lounge bed and Joseph was standing by the balcony with a glass of wine in his hand. "Do you have a name? Or should I just call you huntsman." Regina asks. The huntsman refused to say anything so Joseph sighed in annoyance and walked closer. Regina just smirked and stood up and walked to him. "You're a tortured one aren't you?" She taunted "Is it because your parents abandoned you to the wolves?" Joseph taunts him this time wanting a reaction out of him. "Those people aren't my parents. They only gave birth to me." The huntsman answered back with disgust. " Regina looked at Joseph and continued to walk around him. " My brother and I always felt there were two kinds of people, wolves and sheep." Joseph stepped up closer. "Those who kill and those who get killed." He said with a sadistic smile. "And you huntsman, you are certainly a wolf." He finished and walks to stand beside Regina pouring himself another drink. "Why am I here?" The huntsman asked. "I'd like you to kill someone for me can you do that?" Regina asked him as Joseph swallowed his drink. "And I want you to kidnap someone and hide her far from here until I can retrieve her." Joseph said. "Why would I do anything for either of you?" The huntsman asked in disgust. "Because we have so much to offer. A place in my court. You would become my official huntsman." Regina said thinking that that would be a good deal. "I'm not interested in being anyone's pet." He threw back at her. "This place is a cage." "You'd be washed in luxury, want for nothing. Does that not interest you at all?" Joseph asked. "What do you need me for you have plenty at your disposal." The huntsman asked still not agreeing. "Our prey are both beloved by the kingdom. We need someone who is not blinded by that." Joseph says cutting in front of Regina and handing the huntsman a drink. "That's me." He states accepting the drink but not drinking it. "Now tell me." Regina starts as she walks away from him. "What will it take? Hmm? What do you want?" She asked turning back around slowly to face him as she asked those questions. "Stop all the hunting of wolves. They are to be left alone, they are to be protected." He said looking at Joseph. He shrugged "Simple enough." He stated sipping on his wine. "So who do you want me to kill and kidnap?" He asked the siblings. *_

Amara was sitting in Dr. Hopper's office. She didn't know why but she had to talk to someone about her thoughts and who better but a shrink. "OK." She takes a deep breath and starts. " I know that this is completely crazy I know this." She stops to collect her thoughts. "Its OK Amara. Go ahead tell me what is on your mind that you want to tell." Archie says from his chair waiting patiently for her to continue. "You know how Henry has a thing about fairy tales being true? Well I'm starting to believe he's right. About all if it." She stops and looks at Archie as if to gauge his reaction. "OK and what brought this on that you think Henry is right?" She sighs and leans back in the couch. " I've bee having dreams lately. Dreams about me being someone else. And not only that but strange things have been happening. I mean its just weird." Before Archie could say anything Amara's phone rang. "Sorry. I'll only be a minute." She answered the call. "Hey Mary Margaret now is not a good time-" she gets cut off. "Hey I just seen Graham he was really upset saying all these weird things about a past life. I think he's going to see Henry maybe you can meet him there or something I'm really worried about him." Mary Margaret rushed over the phone. "Yeah sure I'm heading there now." She hung up the phone and rushed to grab her purse from the purse. "Sorry Archie but I have to run." She told him as she went to go to the door. "Amara wait." Archie said standing up. " When have you started having these dreams?" He asked wanting to know more. " I can't talk right now but I'll come back and I'll tell you everything I promise." She said as she opened the door and left.

 _* Amara and Snow were walking through the forest with a guard. Snow was trying to make conversation with the both of them but the only reason she came out was for her sister. "You know my family's summer castle was one of my favorite places. The mountains around it made it like a cradle always made me feel safe." She turns to Amara trying to get her to talk. "Plus it's also my sister's favorite too because we always spend so much time together it's like our own place." Amara turns to look at her and smiles briefly before catching the guard's look she smiled at him too. "Yea I really love that place." She says trying not to cry. Amara and Snow noticed that the guard was feeling uncomfortable. "Stuffy in there?" Amara asked him trying to break the tension. He didn't answer her but he did pull his helmet off. "Here." Snow says as she pulls out three apples from her satchel. "No." He tells her. Amara shakes her head at the offer too looking at the man suspiciously. Snow who looked like she was oblivious but was really thinking. Amara steps closer to her sister. "You're not a Knight are you?" She asks but seemed to already know the answer. That got Snow's attention and she looks at the guard in the eyes. "Why would you say that?" He asked. "Because all of our father's men have offered condolences. Except you." Snow says finally hinting where her sister was going. "Please except my condolences." He tries to make up for his mistake but Amara cuts him off. "And they also all know how to wear armor." He just looked at them clearly caught. "So why did she have you take us?" Snow asked. "I think you know why." He said finally letting his act up. " I think you're going to kill me." Snow said backing away. "I think you have good instincts." Amara goes to stand in front of Snow. "If you want to kill Snow what are you going to do about me?" She asked curiously. " I was a told to kidnap you and hide you until he comes for you." He told her. "He who?" She asked although she had a feeling she already knew. "I think you know who." He said inching closer to them. "There's just one small problem." Amara says. "You're wearing too much armor." She exclaims and quickly picks up a small log and hits him in the side with it. Surprised by the attack it knocks him down. "Run Snow Now!" She exclaims pushing Snow in front of her as they both take off running through the woods. *_

Amara catches up with Graham as he approaches the mayor's porch. "Graham!" She shouts to him rushing up the pathway to the porch. "Are you OK what are you doing?" She asked not wanting him to involve Henry in this mess. "Henry has a book about fairy tales I just want to talk to him about it that's all." He informs her. "Please if he knows something I just want to know." He pleads with her. "Alright fine." She gives in. "But we're doing this my way.. I don't want to scare him OK." He nods in head in agreement. He turned around and rang the doorbell. A couple seconds later Henry answers the door. "Hey Sheriff. Hey Amara. My mom is not here." He informs them. "Actually Henry we want to talk to you." Amara tells him. "Me why?" He asked confused. "Actually we want to talk to you about operation Cobra. It has to do with your book." Henry's face lit up as soon as she said operation cobra. "What about my book guys?" "This book you have Henry. Am I in it?" Graham asked him with a hint of desperation in his voice.

 _* In the forest the huntsman finally comes up to them. He sees Snow perched on a log writing and Amara leaning over her as if to help say what she writes. Snow sees him and writes faster as Amara goes to stand in front of her protectively. "I hunt you yet you stop to compose a letter?" The huntsman asked bewildered at what they were doing. " We don't know these woods. you're the hunter, you would find us in no time. We all know how this ends." Amara says with all the fight drained out of her. " Just after you kill us can you give this letter to the queen." Snow asks folding the letter and holding it out for the huntsman to grab. "This is a trick." Snow shakes her head. "This is not a trick. Tell her that we mean every word." Amara tells him. He takes the letter from Snow and opens it and reads it. As he's reading a tear starts to slide down his cheek. He looks at them and takes his knife off his side. He moves toward them. Amara moved back beside Snow and grabbed her in a side hug as they both closed their eyes waiting for the knife to strike. But instead he sliced off a tall piece of stem. Both Amara and Snow looked at him confused as he just cut small holes in the stem. He then hands the whistle to Amara. "Use this when you need help." "What? I don't understand?" She said in disbelief. "Its a whistle use it when you're in trouble and he will come." Snow leans over Amara's shoulder in confusion at what the huntsman just give them. "You're not going to kill me?" Snow asked. "Run!" He demanded. And the both of them stood up and took off running as fast as they could through the woods. Leaving the huntsman standing there. *_

Henry flips through his book with Graham on one side of him and Amara on the other side. "When did your flashes begin?" Henry asked Graham. "They started happening right after I kissed Emma." He revealed. "You kissed my mom?!" Henry asked disgusted as Amara exclaimed. "You kissed Emma!? What is wrong with you?!" She exclaimed not in anger but surprise. Graham just gave them both a pointed look and Henry looked back at his book. "What did you see?" He asked " I seen a wolf. And I had a knife and I seen that I was with Mary Margaret and Amara." He said and the both of them looked at Amara. " Amara are you having any flashes of any kind too?" Henry asked wondering why Graham was having flashes but not Amara. She shook her head. "No at least not about Graham." She confessed. "But you are having flashes?" Henry asked excitedly. "They're not really flashes more like dreams and sometimes I get a feeling about something." Henry nods his head in approval and looks back at Graham. "OK Mary Margaret is Snow White and Amara is her sister. And in your flash were you about to hurt them?" He asked flipping through the pages. "Yes how did you know that?" Amara just raised her eyebrow in surprise. "Because, you are the huntsman." Henry reveals coming to a page with a man and a knife on it. "And you think I'm this other person?" Graham asked. "Makes total sense, you were raised by wolves. That's why you keep seeing one. He's your friend, your guide, he's trying to help you." Henry explained to Graham. "Wait Henry, how come I can see the wolf too?" Amara asked confused on why she could see the wolf too like Graham. "Because the huntsman gave you the whistle. He basically gave you permission to use his friend whenever you needed him. " Henry explained to Amara. She was not believing all of this was happening at all. "So why am I having all these flashes right after I kiss your mother?" Graham asked Henry. "Well you two have a connection. She owes you her life." "Why" "Well Snow White is her mom and Amara is her aunt. You spared them. If it weren't for you my mom wouldn't be here. "He tells Graham. Amara stands up quickly. "I'm gonna step outside OK." She tells them and heads out of the room and out the door running as fast as she could. Amara runs into Emma who is sitting outside in her bug. Amara walks over to her. " Hey Graham isn't doing too good he should be coming out soon. But I can't stay I'll stop by the station later and we can talk OK." She tells Emma. "Yea OK sure." She said confused as Amara took off down the street.

Amara got a frantic call from Emma asking her to meet her and Graham in the cemetery. By the time she got there they were just getting a door open to a very old crypt. "Hey what are you guys doing?" She asked coming up with a flashlight looking at them confused. "My heart is in here somewhere and I'm going to find it." He says walking inside it. Amara and Emma looked at each other before following him inside.

 _*The huntsman got escorted into the room as Regina and Joseph came in from the hallway toward him. "I see you're still in mourning." He said commenting on their choice of black clothes. "The time for mourning is over. I simply found that black suits me." Regina said walking over toward him as Joseph stayed back leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "Now tell me is Snow dead?" Regina asked menacingly. He grabbed the end of his satchel and held it up. "The young girl's heart as requested." Regina went to make a grab for it but he pulled it back. "But first I must do something." He informed her. He grabbed the letter from his belt and held it out to her. "What's this?" She asked annoyed. "They girls wanted you to have it. " Regina just looked at him for a minute. "Read it to me." She decided walking away and heading toward her lounge. He started reading. "Dearest Stepmother, by the time you read this I will be dead. I understand you will never have love in your life because of me. Its only fitting that I lose mine as well. For the sake of the kingdom and my sister I hope my death will satisfy your need for revenge. And rule over my father's subjects as they deserve with compassion and a gentle hand. I know what you think you're doing is vengeance but I hope to see it as sacrifice for the good of all. With that in mind I welcome it.. I want you to take my last message to heart. I'm sorry and I forgive you. Please take care of Amara. She doesn't deserve my fate." He finished reading it and Regina angrily snatched the letter from his hands and stomped off toward the fire place. She angrily threw it in the fire. "Don't tell me you're becoming a sheep." She angrily addressed him. "She put others before herself and yet you hate her." He says to her with sarcasm. "What did she do to you?" He asked wanting to know why. "I shared a secret with her and she couldn't keep it. And that betrayal cost me dearly." She looked at him with so much emotion on her face. She walked up to him. "Now show me her heart." She demanded with emotion in her voice. The huntsman took the satchel off his shoulder and handed it to her. She snatched it from him and walked over to a weird looking cabinet. "Alright huntsman where is Amara?" Joseph asked pushing himself away from the wall and walking toward him. "She escaped I couldn't catch her in time." He lied to him. Joseph angrily pushed him against the wall. "We had a deal!" He angrily exclaimed "You were to kidnap Amara and take her to the place I told you to take her." He went to punch him but Regina's words cut him off. "This isn't her heart! This isn't a human heart!" She angrily spit out as she stormed over to them. She pushed Joseph away from him. "What did you do?" She asked angrily. *_

Amara and Graham held the flashlights as they looked inside the crypt. "Its got to be in here somewhere." He starts looking through vases and on shelves. Amara and Emma stood back by the door as he frantically searched. "There has to be a hidden door or a lever." He searched all around and still found nothing. Emma walked toward him. "Graham there is nothing here." She tells him. "There has to be otherwise that means-" "Its going to be OK." Emma tries to reassure him. Before anyone could say anything they heard another notice. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" They all look out the door and see Regina and Joseph standing there angrily. "What are you doing here?" Emma asked accusingly. Regina held up the flowers in her hand. "We're bringing flowers to our father's grave like we do every Wednesday." Regina replied. Joseph looked over at Amara. "Amara what are you doing here with them?" He asked opening his arms out as if telling her to come to him. But she stays where she is. "Don't blame them I wanted to come here." Graham said walking down the step looking straight at Regina. "Really Why? What were you looking for?" She asked suspiciously. "Amara what's wrong?" Joseph asked coming to stand by her. "Nothing is wrong Graham is just upset about something that's all." She bounces the question with a quick response. He seemed to accept that and wrap his arm around her. She pulls back away from him. "Don't touch me right now please." She tells him stepping away from him and walking over by Emma. "You don't look well dear. Let's take you home." Regina says grabbing Graham's hand and went to pull him. "Graham pulls away from her. "No. I don't want to go home. Not with you." He admits with disgust as everyone else looks at the pair. "Oh? But you'll go with her?" She pointed her head at Emma with a glare. "Hey this is between you two leave me out of it." Emma says backing away. Regina turned her head toward her. "She's right. This is between us and things have to change. " "And I wonder why that is all of a sudden." She said sarcastically. "This has nothing to do with her. I realized something. I don't feel anything Regina. And I know now it's not me. Its you." "So you're leaving me for her?" Regina asked with no emotion. Joseph walked around them to Amara. " Come on let them have their privacy. This has nothing to do with us. Let's go talk." He whispered in her ear. She nodded her head and he wrapped his arm around her and they snuck off through the cemetery to the entrance by the car so they could talk.

"So what's wrong Amara talk to me." Joseph pleaded as they stood by the car. She sighed and looked over at him. "Something is not right." She tells him. "Graham is losing his mind about these flashes and he swears he knew us in another life." She starts to quiver in her voice. "First Henry, now Graham. At first I thought it was just an imagination of a 10 year old boy, but now I'm starting to wonder if maybe all of this is a lie and" she pauses at what she's gonna say to look him in the eye. "And if that's true than you're the bad guy I've been running from." A small tear rolls down her cheek. She brushes it away. "I really don't want it to be true." She whispered as he slowly walked closer to her. "Its not true. Graham clearly has something wrong and he listened to Henry. I love my nephew but he has a wild dangerous imagination. We are in the real world. This is us." He grabbed her hand and put it on his chest. "If I was the bad guy my heart wouldn't beat like this for you. I wouldn't be falling in love with you." He confessed to her. Her eyes went wide with shock. "I love you Amara." He pulls her closer to him. "That is what's real." She looks up at him and smiles. "I love you too." She wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him. He pushes her back against the car. Before things could go any farther they heard Emma stomping past not seeing them. She pushes him away lightly. "I should go see if she's OK." She whispered to him. "And you should go check on Regina." He sighed. "Yea you're right." He kisses her lightly again and then walks away heading towards where they just came from.

Joseph walked toward Regina. "Regina, we have a problem." She turns to him with a glare. "Yea I know we do. I thought I told you to keep Amara away from Emma." She accused. "Don't blame this on me." He stepped closer to her and pointed a finger at her. "I told you this would blow up in your face. If you wouldn't have had that tryst with that huntsman then none of this would be happening." "So now I'm to blame for this? I don't think so. I know how to fix this." She tells him and walks toward the crypt. She pushes through and he follows. She puts the flowers on top of the casket and pushes the casket aside revealing stairs.

 _* "Did you think you could fool me with the heart of a stag!" The evil Queen exclaims at the huntsman. She uses her powers to slam him against the wall. "You're not going anywhere." She tells him. "She doesn't deserve to die." "That's not up to you. I wanted a heart and I heart I shall have." She slams her hand through his body and grasps his heart and pulls it out of his chest. "What are you going to do to me?" He asked breathless and worried. She slams her lips onto his grasping his jaw. "You're now mine. My pet." She pushes away from him and storms over to her chest that she was going to put Snow's heart in. "And this is your cage. From this moment farther you will do as I say. And if you ever disobey, or ever try to run away all I have to do is squeeze." She squeezed his heart in her hand and h collapsed onto the floor in pain. He screamed in agony. "Guards!" She shouted. The guards came busting in. They each grabbed an arm and pulled him up. "From now on your life is now mine. Forever!" He looked at her with wide eyes. "Take him to my bed chamber." She ordered them. And they dragged him out. Joseph came walking over to her slowly. "Regina what are you doing? This is only going to lead to a disaster." She glared at him and got close to his face. "Mind your own business brother." She snarled out and stormed out of the room.*_

Regina and Joseph walked down the stairs and revealed a room. In that room had a cabinet that looked similar to the one Regina had in her castle. She opened a drawer and revealed a box. She removed that box and took it out to a table. She opened the box and it revealed a beating heart. Joseph stared at the heart from across the table leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

Amara walked slowly through town. She was planning to go to the bar and have a couple drinks but for some reason she found herself in front of the sheriff's station. She slowly walked up to the front door. She seen that the lights were still on and figured Emma was there.

Regina looks at Joseph as she holds Graham's heart in her hand. "Do it." He tells her. "It has to be done before anything else goes wrong."

Amara walks in and sees Graham and Emma kissing. Before she has the chance to turn around he quickly pulls away from her. "Graham?" She hears Emma ask him. She sees him look at Emma. And she could swear that Graham looks different all of a sudden like he discovered a secret he didn't know. "Are you OK?" Emma asked him. Amara walked in so they see her. He looked at Amara and his eyes grew wide as if he was seeing her for this first time in a long time. "I remember!" He tells her with a happy smile on his face that she has never seen. He looked back at Emma. " I remember." He smiles and walks closer to her. "You remember what?" She asked confused. He looked at her then Amara then back at her again. "Everything."

Regina looks at the heart with a sad look and a small tear rolling down her face. Joseph just rolled his eyes at her.

Graham walked closer to Emma and grabbed her face lightly. "Thank you." He tells her with a smile. He looked over at Amara. "Your Highness. Its a pleasure to see you again." Amara just looked at him with a shocked expression. He looked back at Emma and leaned in to kiss her.

Regina looked one last time at the heart before she started squeezing it. Joseph gave a satisfied evil smirk.

Before they could kiss Graham collapses against the desk at first and lands on the floor. Amara rushes over to where he and Emma are. "Graham!" Emma exclaims as she holds his head in her lap trying to get him to wake up. Amara quickly checks for a pulse but doesn't find one. She looks at Emma with tears in both their eyes. "He's not breathing." They both collapse on the floor trying to wake him up.

Regina watches as the heart turns to dust in her hand. Joseph claps his hands in mock applause. "Well done sister." He walks up behind her to whisper in her ear. "If only you did that the first time. Would've solved so many problems." He walked away up the stairs. She heard the crypt door slam shut making her jump.


	8. Desperate Souls

A couple weeks have gone by and everything had slowly started going back to normal. Amara had been helping out Emma at the sheriff's station but she had to be returning to the bar soon. She was thankful that Tim had helped out as much as possible. She had been going to see Archie for about a week. But she came to the conclusion that everything that she had been thinking had just been in her head. Since the night Graham died she had not had a single dream about past lives. She figured it was for the best since Joseph kept insisting that everything was just in her head. Yes she continued to tell Joseph everything and he was very supportive but he also made sure to inform her that it wasn't real. So now as she heads to the bar to try to help Tim with opening she gets a call from Emma. "Hey Emma is everything OK?" She asked once she picked up. "The bitch fired me. I'm drinking wanna join?" She laughed lightly. "Yea sure I could use a drink I'll be there in a few. I'll even bring a bottle of my own." She tells her before hanging up. She heads to the back of the bar and uses the back door. Luckily Tim is out front and doesn't see her grab a bottle from the shelf. Even though she owns the place she'll get a lecture from him about taking what could help the bar. She quickly sneaks back out the back and rushes down the street towards Emma's. Once she got there she noticed Emma had loud music blaring. "Hey!" She shouts over the music." I brought a gift." She laughs holding up the bottle.

A few hours later they were sitting around drunk with the music still blaring loudly. Amara was sitting at the counter watching Emma as she was intensely trying to fix the toaster. Amara heard a noise and she very clumsy turned around as Mary Margaret was walking through the door. Emma was too focused on the toaster to notice. "Hey! Mary Margaret!" Amara exclaimed jumping from the stool to stand in front of her. Mary Margaret stood there with shock. "Hey?" She asked half confused half worried about her friends drinking in the middle of the day. She went over to the speaker and shut it off. That got Emma's attention. She looked up and seen Mary Margaret looking at her. "Is the toaster broken?" She asked taking off her jacket. "If it isn't it is now." She said still trying to fix it. "I just needed to hit something." She said finally decided to give up on it and sat it down. "Are you OK? What's going on? Why are you both drinking?" She asked. "Well." Emma started. "Regina fired me so she bring one of her puppets in as sheriff." "And I'm a delusional mess who almost believed a ten year old about being a fairy tale character." Amara said laying on the couch with another drink in her hand. "I never heard you so passionate about your job before." Mary Margaret said with a smirk as she was unloading her groceries. "All I know is I want my job back." She said then turned toward the couch. "Wait, you actually believed Henry about his fairy tales? What brought that on?" Emma asked leaning against the counter. " I don't know really. It was just how he believes so much in it. Then Graham, I just really let it get to me that's all." She said standing up and headed to the bathroom. Amara came out of the bathroom and seen Mr. Gold sitting at the table talking to Emma. She stumbled out. "Don't mind me I'm just grabbing some water then heading home." She grabbed a bottle of water then without saying bye grabbed her jacket and left the apartment.

Amara had slept all the rest of that day. When she woke up she had no idea what was going on. But then she got a whiff of hot chocolate and bacon. Confused she stumbled out of bed and headed to the kitchen. There she found Joseph putting her breakfast on a plate. He turned and seen her. "Ah. It's about time you woke up sleeping beauty." He smiled at her and gave her a light kiss. Still confused she looked at him. "Not that I'm complaining but how did you get in?" She asked. Her stomach getting the best of her she sat down and grabbed a piece of bacon. He chuckled lightly as he sat down across from her. " I have my ways." He said cryptically picking up a mug of coffee. They ate in silence until Amara glanced at the paper he was reading. "Hey can I see the paper for a second?" She asked spotting something. "Yeah sure. I figured you would go nuts once you saw it. " He said handing it over. There on the front cover was the story about Emma having Henry while she was in jail. She angrily threw the paper down on the table. "This is horrible! I can't believe Sydney would write something like this." She said angrily. "This had to be Regina's doing." She told him glaring at him. He angrily stared at her back. "Don't blame my sister for this. Sydney is a big boy he can choose on his own if he wants to write a story or not." He angrily got up and put his plate in the sink. "Oh please! Who are we kidding Regina wants to destroy Emma. Are you really going to tell me that Regina had nothing to do with it?" She asked standing up to stand in front of him. He scoffed and looked down at her. "I'm not getting into this with you. I'm late for a photo shoot with Regina." He pushed past her and grabbed his coat off the couch. "You know I was going to ask you to come with me, but clearly that would've been a mistake." He said to her before leaving out the front door. Amara just sank into the chair in exhaustion and put her head in her hands and took a deep breath.

After Joseph got done playing the supportive older brother for Regina during her public announcement about Sydney Glass taking over as Sheriff, he found himself in her office with a glass of scotch in his hand. " You did a real stupid thing Regina." He informed her as she walked in the room. "Oh really and what might that be?" She asked sarcastically. He glared at her. "That story you had Sydney run in the paper. It was stupid and completely childish." He took a drink. "Not to mention it caused me to have a fight with Amara this morning." He pointed a finger at her. "You wanted me to keep her under control? That's hard to do when you're having bad articles written about her friend!" He angrily almost shouted at her. He slammed the glass down. "If you don't quit this childish game you will be on your own." He threatened and walked out the door.

Amara ran into Emma as she was leaving Granny's. "Hey. I'm glad I caught you." She said as they started walking down the street. "How are you doing? I read the article." Amara explained. "I'm mad that Henry had to see it. I never wanted him to find out. This is a low blow even for her." Emma angrily exclaims. "I know. She never should've had Sydney write that article. She has gone too far this time." Amara told her as she walked Emma to the city hall building. "Do you want me to go in with you?" Amara asked as they reached the building. Emma shook her head. "No. I'll be alright. I have something I want to talk to you about later." Emma tells her. "Yeah OK. I'll be at the bar all day since I failed to show up yesterday." She smiled lightly. "You'll know where to find me." Amara turned and walked the other way toward The Rabbit Hole. When she got there she got stared down by Tim. "Well it's about time you decided to make an appearance." She looked at him and sighed as she hung up her jacket. "Look, I own this bar. If I don't feel like showing up then I'm not gonna show up. If you have a problem then you buy this place from me and fire me. But until then shut up about me not being here!" She exclaimed and walked out of the back room.

Through out the day she started to become more and more like herself. She talked with customers, she joked around. All and all it was a good day. Joseph came in to see her. She was currently setting down a round of beers for a table. "Hey." He said walking up beside her. "Hey." She smiled as she walked around the counter. "Do you have a minute? I want to apologize and I don't want to do it in front of a bunch of drunks." He said leaning forward on his elbows. She looked at him for a second as if thinking whether she wanted to talk to him or not. "Yeah, let's go in the back." She said and headed there without looking back. He followed behind her wordlessly. Once they were in the privacy of her office did he start. "I'm sorry about how things ended this morning. I know that Sydney will do anything that Regina says and she wanted to see Emma hurt. I know she is your friend. " He took a second to look at her. "So I talked to Regina." She tried to hide her surprise but he caught it in time and smiled. He moved closer so he had her against the desk. " I'm sorry for being an asshole today." He leaned in closer so he was barely touching her lips with his. "Will you forgive me?" He smirked before he lightly kissed her. She kissed him back and grasped his face in her hands. She pushed him away before it could go farther. "I'm still mad at you." She tells him with a light tone in her voice. He smiled at her. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

Joseph decided to hang around and have a couple drinks when he got the call. There was an explosion at Regina's office involving her and Emma. "Amara." He said pulling her away from a table of people she was talking to. "Its Regina and Emma there's been an explosion at her office and they were both involved." He said in a small panic. Amara's eyes widened in shock. "OK give me a couple minutes and we can go." She rushed to the back and grabbed her jacket. "Tim there's been an accident I have to go. Close up early if you want." She told him as she rushed out the door with Joseph on her heels right behind her.

Once they got there were people everywhere. Amara left Joseph and went over to Emma. She engulfed her in a hug. "Don't ever scare me like that again." She says as she pulled away. "Seriously don't." She joked. "Regina could use a good burning." She said as she looked around and seen Joseph talking to Regina who was sitting on a stretcher.

"Always making a scene aren't you Regina." Joseph comments as it was just them talking. "I had nothing to do with this. Why would I blow up my own building and have Miss Swan save me?" She retorted back just as angrily. "I don't know why you even bothered to show up if you're not going to be supportive." He sighed and kissed her forehead. "I came because you are my sister and I love you." He said. "Well if you love me gets all these cameras out of my face." She yelled and it was directed at everyone who had their cameras out taking pictures.

"Did you really rescue Regina?" Mary Margaret asked as they were all crowded in a circle talking with Dr Hopper and Granny and Ruby. Henry then came rushing over. "She did! I seen it! It was awesome!" He said excitedly causing the group to laugh. "You are a hero." Ruby stated as everyone in the group quickly agreed. Everyone then started talking about making campaign posters. Amara and Emma laughed as they rushed off to get started. Amara turned to Emma. "So how does it feel to be a hero?" She asked teasingly. "I don't feel any different. I was just doing the good think, nothing more." She says. Emma gets down to Henry's level to look at him. "See good can do something wonderful." She smiled at him. "Maybe you're right." He agreed smiling back at him. "And I'm completely lost." Amara tells them and they all laugh. Then something catches Emma eye as she looked over at the rubble and noticed something. Amara turned to look at what caught Emma's attention. "What is it?" She asked her catching the look on Emma's face as Emma kicked an old rope with her foot. "I think I just figured out what caused this." Emma said as she took off.

Amara followed after Emma. "Emma slow down. Where are you going?" Amara asked her as they came to Mr. Gold's shop. Emma ignored her and angrily pulled the door opened. There they seen Mr. Gold wiping down his items. He turned to look at them with a knowing look as Emma looked angry and Amara looked confused. "Well I just seem to be getting a lot of visits today." He said sarcastically and Emma slammed the door shut behind them angrily. "Here to break my little bell?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "You started that fire didn't you?" Emma accused as she held up the rope she was looking at in the rubble. "Wait What?" Amara asked looking between Emma and Mr. Gold. "Why would you start a fire like that?" Amara asked him. Mr Gold laughed humorlessly. "I've been right here all night Miss Swan." He told them. Emma walked closer to him holding up the rope. "This. Smell it. It smells of your sheep stuff. It turns out it's flammable." She told him. Amara followed to stand beside Emma as she looked at the rope. "Are you sure?" Mr. Gold asked. "There has been construction working in the city building. Lots of flammable stuff there." He said to the both of them. Amara looked at him and knew he was lying. "Why did you do it?" Amara asked him. He looked at her and smiled. "If. If I did it then it would be because you can not win without something big like a fire." He explained to the both of them. "How did you know that Emma would even be there in time?" Amara asked. "I do have eyes and ears in this town. Plus call me intuitive." He said with a smirk. Amara just glared at him. "I could've just left her there." Emma said baiting him. "Not the type." He retorted back. "I won't go along with this." She told him. He laughed at her. "Well I'm afraid my dear you just did." He said while smirking at her. "Are you kidding me?!" Amara asked angrily. "She did not ask for this. What you did was completely illegal. And I could go to Joseph about this." Amara told him angrily. "That's all just the price of election." He stated to both of them. "A price I didn't ask for." Emma said throwing down the rope on the counter. "Find another sucker." She said to him. "OK fine you two. Go ahead and expose me. But just think of what you'd be exposing and what you would be walking away from." He told them as they both glared at him and walked away out of the shop. "I really hate that guy." Amara says as they walk away from the building.

It was the day of election and Mary Margaret and Amara were hanging up flyers in favor of Emma. Everybody was gathered in town hall awaiting for it to start. Amara was walking around socializing and talking about Emma. She looked over toward the stage and saw Emma and Mary Margaret talking an looking out at the crowd. They seen her and she waved at them. They waved back and closed the curtain back. Joseph came over to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. "I found us good seats. You ready to go sit down? It'll be starting real soon." He told her. She looked up at him smiling. "Yes. Let's go sit." They found their seats as Archie came on stage. Amara watched as she seen Emma sitting there as if deciding on what she wanted to say. Sydney spoke first and she saw Regina say the speech back to him. Amara rolled her eyes at that.

Then Emma got on stage. " You all know I have a troubled past. But are willing to overlook it because of the hero thing. But here is the thing the fire was a set up." Amara looked in surprise. She actually told everybody the truth. She smiled at Emma in encouragement. "Mr. Gold offered to support me but I didn't know that it meant setting fire. But I can't win that way. I let you all believe that it was true and it wasn't. I can't let myself win knowing that. Thank you." She finished and walked back to her seat. Mr. Gold got up and Amara looked behind her seeing him walk right out the door. Everyone was still silent. Amara started a clap and everyone eventually joined in. Regina looked behind her and looked at Amara and glared. Amara just smirked at her. Joseph saw the whole exchange out of the corner of his eye.

Amara sat with Emma at the bar as she poured her a drink. "Hey everything is going to be fine. I know these people. You were honest with them. That's the best thing you could've done." She tells Emma trying to cheer her up. "I know. Just hope it was worth it." Henry walked in and stood next to Emma. "Hey Henry. What are you doing here?" Amara asked reaching over and grabbing a glass and filling it with milk for him. He reached into his bag and pulled out a walkie talkie. He hands it to Emma. "This is for you. For operation cobra. You stood up to Mr. Gold. That's really impressive." "Well he did something illegal." Emma said as she clipped the radio to her belt. Amara smiled at Henry as she set the glass of milk down for him. He looked at the both of them. "I shouldn't have given up on operation cobra. And neither should you Amara." Amara and Emma both smiled at him. The door chimed open and in walked Regina and Sydney. "I thought I might find you here." Regina said looking around before standing by them. "With a drink. And my son." She said looking at Henry. "Here to card me officer?" Emma said jokingly to Sydney. "No in fact I think I'll join you." He said and Amara raised her eyebrow in surprise. "Here? Well they have a party set up at Granny's for the winner." Amara said but poured him a drink anyway. "Well Emma will have to tell us how that is." He said back looking down at his drink. "What do you mean?" Emma said looking surprised. Regina took the badge from her pocket and laid it down next to Emma on the bar counter. "Congratulations Sheriff Swan." She said in a mono voice. "Wait! Are you serious?" Henry asked excitedly. "Seems like the town likes the fact that you stood up to Mr. Gold." Regina said. "Are you joking right now?" Emma asked still shocked. " She doesn't joke." Joseph said walking in and up to them. " You could've made a good friend in Mr. Gold but choose to make him an enemy. That's an interesting choice." He said standing beside Regina as she smiled at Emma. "Enjoy that Miss Swan. The fact that you have made an enemy in Mr. Gold." Amara rolled her eyes at Regina's comment.

Amara closed the bar early and together Emma, Henry, her and Joseph walked over to Granny's and they celebrated in Emma becoming the new sheriff. After the party Joseph walked Amara home. "Is this gonna cause you and Regina fight?" Amara asked him. He laughed humorlessly. "I told her I was done with her childish games. If she doesn't like that then oh well." He tells her as they reach her apartment. She turned to face him. "I had fun tonight. And I'm glad Emma won. She needs this." He smiled at her. "I'm glad you had a good time tonight. " he told her. "And I'm gonna continue to talk to Archie. Now more than ever I feel like something is going on. And I want to figure out what that is." He just looked her. She was oblivious to the look of fear and anger on his face.

Joseph stormed into the vault he frantically started searching for something. Regina came down the stairs and seen him. She hid in the shadows so she wouldn't be found. She wondered what he could possibly be searching for. After he left she looked at what he was searching through and found he was looking through their bottles of now useless potions and seen that one was missing. It was the memory swipe potion. Regina looked in confusion wondering why her brother would try to use a potion that he knew was useless here in Storybrooke.


	9. True North

_* Two little kids were running through the woods. All of a sudden they were stopped by the Evil Queen and The Dark Prince's carriage. Joseph didn't have time to deal with two small children running around lost but Regina had other ideas. She opened up the carriage door and looked at the two kids. "Just what do you think you're doing in my forest?" She asked them. Joseph just sighed and rolled his eyes at Regina's childish behavior.*_

"So you've still been having the dreams?" Archie asked Amara as she was sitting in his office. "Yes. Almost every night." She sighed before continuing. " They first started when Emma came to town. I have never had any doubts about my life and this town ever." She looks at Archie who is just watching her waiting to continue. "I get these feelings sometimes, almost like instincts." She starts to explain. "About certain people and my life." "What do you mean by feelings?" Archie asked her. "Like with Regina I know that she is only out to hurt Emma. A-nd Joseph." She stumbles over her words. She looks at Archie almost in a daze. "I feel that he is hiding something from me. Ever since i told him I was going to start coming to you he completely changed. He got angry. It's almost like he doesn't want me to talk to you. Like he's afraid I might uncover a secret." She finishes. "What do you think that secret is Amara?" Archie asked her. She takes a deep breath as if stalling to answer. "That Henry was telling the truth about everything. And these dreams that I have every night about another life don't help my theory at all."

 _*"Please forgive us." The little girl said to Regina as Joseph got out of the carriage. "We didn't mean to disturb you we just lost our father." Regina looked at them in fake pity. "Two lost children, lost in the woods, family torn apart, such a sad and moving story." She says as she turns towards the guards. "Regina that's enough." Joseph tells her grabbing onto her arm. She glared at him and pulled her arm back from his grasp. "Guards." Regina commands "Seize them." She points at them. The little girl already sensing that the evil queen was wanting them backs away with her brother. "Hensel run." The little girl tells her brother as she starts swinging her sling to hit the guards with. She hit Joseph in the head with a rock and took off running after her brother. Regina laughed as Joseph roared in anger. "Still want me to leave them alone dear brother?" She asked as she puffed in purple smoke to catch them running up the hill. Joseph watched as Regina caught them in a tangle of vines. "Running from me was very foolish and also very brave which may have saved your lives." Regina informs them as she magicked the vines away from the fallen children. Joseph walked up slowly toward the children in confusion wondering why Regina let them go. "What's your angle here Regina? Why just let them go?" He asked her. "I'm going to find their father." Regina tells him looking at the children. "Why are you gonna do that?" The little girl asked as they stood up. "Because my dears you are going to do something for me." She tells them with a wicked smile. *_

Amara was bringing in boxes from the back shed when Emma walked in with two kids she had never seen before. "Hey what's going on?" Amara asked setting the box down and walking over to them. "Hey can these two stay here for a bit until i find out some information on them?" She asked her pleadingly. Amara sighed and looked at the kids who were sitting a couple tables down from where Emma and Amara were standing. "What's the story with them?" She asked Emma. " Well from their file their mother died a few years ago and dad is not in the picture." Emma informed her passing her the file to read. Amara looked it over and shook her head. "I don't know who this woman is I've never seen her before." She tossed the file on the table. "What are you going to do? Are you going to call social services?" Amara asked going behind the bar and grabbing Emma a pop. " I can't just call social services. They're going to be separated and I can't have that happen." "OK i have a game room in the back, I guess they can spend a few hours there." Amara said "Do you know what you're going to do? Where they need to go?" Amara asked again not feeling completely comfortable with this idea. "I have their files so now I just need to go and get copies of their birth records. There has to be something that can lead me to their father or next of kin right?" Emma said running out of ideas. "I'm not too sure. But it never hurts to find out. I'll keep them here. I have plenty of things in the back room that will keep them occupied." Amara said grabbing a container of kool aid and pouring two glasses. Emma left and Amara walked over to the two kids. "OK guys here's the deal. I have a fully kid proofed game room in the back. You can play all the games you want free of charge. Emma is looking into finding a place for you so you will be safe. " She walked them into the back room. When she pulled the sliding door back their eyes got big with surprise and excitement. Inside was a huge room with nothing but games for both children and adult. They looked at Amara with happy smiles and ran to different games. Amara smiled to herself as she watched the kids play the games in delight. She closed the door lightly and headed back out to the front room of the bar.

 _*What is that thing?" Joseph asked Gretel as they all walked through the woods to an unknown place. Joseph still had no idea what Regina was up to. He didn't have time to play in her revenge game. He had to find Amara. She had escaped from him somehow without a trace. He had to find her. He wanted her. "It's a compass that my dad gave me. But now it's broken." She said as she tried not to cry. Joseph just rolled his eyes at the silly girl. He had never been much for kids. They we're extremely messy and loud. He didn't like them. He walked up from beside the kids to walk along side Regina. "When are you going to tell us where we are going?" He asked with a hint of anger in his voice. "We're getting close." Regina said ignoring his question. He yanked her arm pulling her to a stop. "Close to where?" He asked in curiosity. "Why the home of the blind witch of course." Regina told him with a big smile on her face. Both of the kids looked at Regina in fear. "That doesn't sound good." One of the kids said. Regina turned to face them. "She took something of mine. And I need you to get it back." Joseph just narrowed his eyes at her. "What is it?" The little girl asked. "She has something of mine it's kept in a small black leather satchel." "Well why can't you just get it back?" Gretel asked curiously. "The house is protected by magic. No adult can get in only children." She informed them. Joseph was finally catching on to her plan and smirked slightly. "And if we do this. You'll find our dad?" "Oh yes sweetheart I will." She stops as if remembering something. "But there is one more thing. The witch's house is unique so take special precaution while inside." Regina told them. "She means that by no matter how tempted you are no matter how good it looks, you must not eat anything in that house." The children looked at them in confusion. They looked at each other and pulled back branches. When they did it revealed a house made of gingerbread. They both smirked at each other and the kids.*_

It was mid afternoon and her regulars were just starting to all pile in. She made sure to keep the door to the game room closed so no one will see them. The bar phone rings. She goes to answer it. "Rabbit Hole Bar how may I help you?" She asked answering the phone while making drinks. "Hey it's Henry." She heard from the other end. "Hey kid why you calling me?" She asked taking money and working the register. " Because I'm here with Emma and I figured out who those children are and what their story is." He tells her over the phone. She sighed. "OK kid shoot who are they?" She asked not sure if she wanted to believe him or not. "They are Hensel and Gretel. They were lost in the woods that's why they have no family to go to." He tells her quickly. She stopped and sighed into the phone. "OK I believe you. What does Emma want me to do with them? Can you put her on please?" She asked Henry nicely. "Yea sure." He hands the phone over to Emma. "Hey. What are you wanting me to do with these kids. They can't stay here. My customers are already getting mad because I won't let them into the game room." She informed her slightly mad. "I'm working on it. I'm looking for their dad so they don't have to go into the system. I'll keep you informed. It shouldn't be too much longer. Thank you for doing this for me." They hang up the phone and Amara sneaks off into the back to check on the kids. "Hey are you guys doing OK back here?" She asked them as they were sitting at one of the tables in the room. "Yea we're OK." The girl told her while grabbing a cookie that Amara had set down a plate of. "We just want to know what's going on." Amara sighed before answering. "Well Emma is trying to find your father. It shouldn't take long. So you guys won't have to go into the Foster system and possibly get separated." Before anyone could say anything else Tim came in. "Amar-" he cuts off as he sees the children sitting there with Amara. "What is it?" Amara asked standing up to push him out the door. "Emma was on the phone she's on her way here. Why are there two children in the room?" He whispered the last part to her. "Long story just please don't say anything." She pleaded with him. "I won't as long as it doesn't get me in trouble." She rolled her eyes at him. "It won't get you in trouble."

Emma came in a few minutes later with a box filled with stuff. "Hey where are they at?" She asked Amara at the bar. "They're in the back room. Make sure no one sees you." Amara informed her. Emma nodded and walked off to the back. A few minutes later she came back out with a compass. "What's that?" Amara asked looking at it. Emma sat down on the bar stool and leaned in closer. "They thing that is going to help me find their father. I'm going to take them back to Mary Margaret's so you don't get in trouble. If I need any help I'll let you know." She told her. "Yea OK that'll work call me if you need anything OK." She asked of her as they parted and she went out the back with the kids so no one will see them.

 _* " Alright Regina fess up what is your game plan?" A frustrated Joseph asked as they headed back to the castle. Regina rolled her eyes at him. "I love you brother but sometimes you need to be on the same page as me." She stated to him. " We have the kids go in there and retrieve my precious package. The one that will solve both of our problems." She told him. "How do you figure it will solve mine?" He asked her. "Because what I have planned will cause Amara to running back. And when she does then will be the perfect time for you to finally make your move." She told him with a smile on her face. "It's perfect nothing can go wrong." Regina says mostly to herself. "Except for the fact that you sent in children. You know how children are!" He basically shouted at her. She just rolled her eyes at him.*_

Emma came back in an hour later looking disappointed. Amara noticed this and got her a drink as she sat down. "He doesn't want the kids." She told her taking a small sip of the drink. "What are you going to tell them?" Amara asked softly. "I don't know what to tell them. I've been giving them false hope." Before Amara could say anything both Regina and Joseph came inside and headed straight for them. "Sheriff, shouldn't you be heading to Boston by now?" Regina asked rudely. "Are you checking up on me? If you are then you don't need to I'm doing my job." Emma retorted back. "Are you? Good because those kids are suppose to be in Boston tonight. Make sure you have them there." Regina looked over at Amara and turned and walked back out the door. Joseph rolled his eyes. "Don't mind Regina." He said to Emma. "Amara can I talk to you for a minute?" He asked her. Emma stood up. "That's fine I better go. Ill let you know how things go." Emma finished her drink and walked out. Amara nodded her head toward the back office and Joseph followed behind her. He closed the office door behind him. She turned and stared at him as he leaned back against the door. "I don't like that you're talking with Archie." He informed her. She looked at him in confusion. "I don't understand why you don't. This has nothing to do with you, so why-" he cut her off. "Because you're making up this ridiculous theory in your head! You're traumatic over Graham's death so you're choosing to believe a ten year old about story book characters that aren't even real! You need to snap out of it!" He shouted at her loosing his temper. "You do not know what I went through or what I saw! You have no control over what I do. If I want to see and talk to Archie, then dammit I will talk to Archie!" She shouted at him right back. She took breath before continuing. "You know something, ever since I've confided in you about these dreams you've been standoffish of me. Either you think I'm nuts or I'm actually right and there is something strange going on in this town." She told him. He looked at her with wide eyes. "Amara I love you. I just want what's best for you."

 _*Regina and Joseph watched through the mirror as the children were able to trick the blind witch and they were running. The guard brought them in a few minutes later. "My dear children" Regina greeted them. "Were you successful in your task?" She asked them already knowing that they were. "Yes your majesty." Gretel said. "Good." Joseph spoke from the shadows on the balcony. Both children looked at him in fright. "Now my satchel." Regina demanded and held out her hand. The girl placed the bag in Regina's hand. Regina looked at it in awe as Joseph walked closer to get a look at what was inside it. "I've waited a long time for this." She warned them. "You better have not let me down." She slowly opened the bag and she pulled out a big red apple. Joseph looked at the apple in disgust. "This? This is what you were wanting? A red apple is going to solve both of our problems?" He asked angrily not understanding how an apple will solve his problem. She ignored him. "You actually did it." She whispered mostly to herself. "We did." Gretel said firmly. Regina snapped out of whatever daze she was and looked at the children. "Yes you did." She looked at the girl. "You have a strong heart. You remind me of myself at your age." The little boy just look at her in disbelief. "So we did all of that for an apple?" Joseph scoffed. "That's exactly what I'm saying." He said sarcastically glaring at Regina. "Oh trust me this is not just an ordinary apple. Its a weapon." She snarled and turned and walked away from them. "A weapon for a devious enemy. One who is still under the illusion that she is safe." She said as she placed the apple in a basket. "So I ask again Regina. How does this apple help me with my problem?" Joseph asked growing impatient with his sister. "All in due time my brother." She said looking at him through her mirror. "Whatever your plan is we did what you asked. Now you have to keep your promise and find our father." Gretel told Regina firmly. Both siblings looked at the little girl with a raised eyebrow. "But of course." Regina said moving toward them. "To reunite your family so you can live happily ever after." Regina said in a bored monotone voice. "You two were abandoned in the woods. You deserve someone better than a father who abandoned you." Both kids looked down at the ground in sadness with tears in their eyes. "But he's all we have." Gretel whimpered in a broken voice. Regina bent down to their level. "Perhaps he doesn't have to be." Regina told them. "You and your brother have impressed me and my brother, although he doesn't really show it that much. As a reward I am offering you a chance to come live with us!" Regina exclaimed. "No! We want our father back. He would never abandon us. And even if he did we would never want to live with people as terrible as you two." Joseph just scoffed at the children brushing them off but Regina took the insult to heart. "Is that so." She said with a glare. " We'll see about that." She replied angrily and swept them up in a pile of purple cloud.*_

"Ever since Emma has come to town you and your sister have been acting so differently. I can't even explain it." Amara argued with Joseph still in the back office. "We have not changed! That is all in your head! You refuse to listen to truth only what you want to believe." Joseph argued with her back. Amara turned so he couldn't see the tears in her eyes. She wiped them away angrily and turned back around. "I can't be with someone who doesn't believe in me when I know what I feel." She looked at him for a second. " You need to go." She said trying to push past him. He grabbed her arms lightly. "Amara wait listen to me. You're angry you don't mean that." She scoffed at him. "Yes I do mean it. Leave now." She demanded pushing his arms away. He moved so he was right in her face. "I will go. But you can bet on your life we are not done. I finally have you I refuse to lose you." He stormed out of the office before she could react.

Amara was sitting at her desk when she started getting a headache. All of a sudden she started getting flashes in her head. Flashes of her and Joseph. Him chasing her, hurting her, him telling her that no matter where she ran to he would find her. Then the flashes changed to a man on a ship. She couldn't see his face but she felt whole and safe with him around. Then all of a sudden the flashes went away. She just sat there in shock with tears in her eyes. She quickly stood up and left the room. She went to the bathroom to try to clean up her face. Staring at herself in the mirror she caught a glimpse of her with curly hair in a dress. She blinked and the image was gone. She quickly left the bathroom and headed for the door. She left without saying bye to Tim and walked down the street. As she was walking a stranger on a motorcycle passed her by. All of a sudden she got another feeling. This time it was a feeling that things were going to change but she didn't know if for the better.


End file.
